Matchmaker Miko
by Catclass
Summary: You've seen dark mikos force the stubborn lord's hand and unexpected pregnancies for our dear Shikon Miko, but I give you Matchmaker Miko. Follow along as Sesshomaru and Kagome travel across Japan in search of the new Lady of the West. And maybe fix Sesshomaru's poor attitude if Kagome has any say in it.
1. Matchmaker

Hello! I'm catclass and this is a little story I've decided to write about Kagome and Sesshomaru post jewel destruction. This takes place about a year after the cannon story line with the exception of her not marrying Inuyasha. You can check out my fanart for this story and the White Fox (sasunaru) at catclass in deviantart and dokuga. Thank you for your time, and please enjoy your read.

Raven hair lightly pulled against a modest hair tie, while the owner huffed in determination. She knew the hair tie contrasted with her miko attire of red and white, but this priestess would not bother with a ribbon. Hardened arms put out the humble fire in the middle of her hut, before strong legs shuffled petit feet into woven sandals.

Kagome stepped from her hut with a giddy smile as she spotted Rin and her adopted son, Shippo. From a glance, the girl still looked as if she were sixteen and fresh to the feudal era. Big blue eyes sparkled brightly in a face untouched, but her body had been transformed with proper training. Sango and Miroku gladly shared their gifts of knowledge and skill. With both of them so busy with their children, Kagome would travel to aid nearby villages. Even Kaede grew busier with the raising and training of Sesshomaru's ward, Rin.

Inuyasha still traveled with Kagome, but only stepped in when he could thrash an enemy he felt too strong for her. This sparked an increasing amount of arguments between them. They were not together as everyone had expected, but that did not make them any less than best friends.

There was one odd thing that the priestess had not expected after the destruction of the Shikon Jewel and Naraku, it was Sesshomaru. He showed an immense amount of trust in leaving Rin under the protection of Inuyasha. The cold lord visited frequently and it was not without some form of awkward social interaction. Sesshomaru would usually fight with his little brother, but there were times when he would begrudgingly include him in demon politics. At other times, he would speak to Kaede about his ward. Kagome tried to talk to him, but he always turned away.

"Shippo! Tag! You're it!" The joyful priestess tapped lightly on the little orange head, triggering two squealing children to burst into sprints. The three of them raced about the village and rice paddies, until a deep baritone voice demand their attention. "Rin" He barked. Apparently today was one of those visits from the stoic lord. Kagome ushered the children to calmly return to the village where his white, tall figure stood. She and Shippo bowed in passing while Rin greeted her father. Gold met blue in a single moment of a side glance, but Kagome took it as a greeting all the same.

Little did she know, Sesshomaru was here to take Inuyasha.

It was his squawking that caused her to step back out of her hut, curious. "I don't believe you!" Inuyasha shouted while stomping his feet, his hands stayed tucked in his sleeves throughout the tantrum. "You have never trusted me with something like this before, why now? Why would you give me this position now?" Sesshomaru sighed, glancing at the concerned priestess.

Kagome had snagged her bathing supplies for the brief moment inside her hut, so her casually walking past the canine brothers almost went unmentioned. She was almost a yard past when Inuyasha called out to her, "Kagome! There's some issues at the Western Palace that Sesshomaru has come begging- _WHACK-_ uh, I'll be gone for a bit. You'll be ok?" She could only smile and reply, "Go, Inuyasha." Kagome didn't need to look at the lord to know he was watching her. With a quick bow, she excused herself from their conversation with the appearance of simply wanting to hurry to her bath.

An hour passed, and the raven haired woman relaxed against a rock. Her dark locks floated leisurely around her round breasts and small shoulders. Her arms and legs were perpetually sore with layers of deep bruising regardless of the firm muscles. Now, she wouldn't say she has muscles; Sango has muscles. But, her arms, legs and stomach weren't soft and squishy any more. Kagome was even quite happy to find her rear had tightened and become perkier. This put her in quite the happy mood for days, but she wouldn't dare say anything. The idea of her walking up to Inuyasha and proclaiming, "My butt looks awesome!" sent her into a fit of giggles. The spring's surface rippled with her tiny movements.

Another minute of silly scenarios entertained her until the fact of her apparel sobered her attitude. The miko robes hid everything. The only change that they allow to be visible is the length of her hair. Sadly, it was still long with bangs, except it had grown from her middle back to now resting below her hips. The growth was what caused her need for ponytails. Honestly, Kagome grew envious of the beautiful hair of the court ladies she had met or seen during her travels, so she took what advice they would offer and let it grow. Just because she couldn't be a princess didn't mean that she couldn't look as pretty as one.

"Priestess" The deep voice broke into Kagome's thoughts as her eyes shot open. "This Sesshomaru is in need of your service as well."

He just stood there at the edge of the spring like nothing was wrong. She wasn't having it, "Pervert! Turn away!" The silver lord barely dodged sweet smelling shampoo and soap bottles as she continued, "You can't just walk in on a girl bathing! Good Lord, stop looking at me and turn around! Pervert!" It took him way too long to finally turn his back to her so she could hide behind a tree. Kagome hated dressing while still damp; her hair usually soaked a good portion of her clothes if she wasn't careful. To ensure minimal wetness, she quickly did a simple braid.

He was still standing with his back to her as she stepped out from behind the tree trunk and shrubbery. "Alright, what service do you desire?" Kagome asked while finishing her temporary braid.

"This Sesshomaru is in need of a wife. There are many suitors that need to be properly managed. Do you think yourself capable?" It took a moment for her to grasp what he was asking of her, but even then, she was shocked to silence. Sesshomaru needed a wife to produce purebred demon children, and he sought her council in choosing one. It wasn't even a marriage of love.

Kagome knew he could see and smell her sadness, but both chose not to remark on it. "You want me to play matchmaker? I can do that, but you have to do something really important in order for this to be successful." The cheeky girl waited until a silver eyebrow rose in question before continuing, "You have to talk to me. I need to know what personality traits you like or didn't like, physical traits and the alike. Also, please fill me in on any current demon courting cultures or at least give me access to a resource where I can read up on them."

She grew worried for a moment as the cold lord glared at her. Was it a glare or was he analyzing her, Kagome had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he looked at her like that. "Arrive at the palace with Inuyasha in two days' time." And, in a gust of wind, Sesshomaru was gone.


	2. The Perfect Mate

Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing my first chapter. I know I can be a little wordy and clumsy with grammar, but I appreciate you all. Thank you, again! ~Catclass

Chapter 2

As Sesshomaru said, Inuyasha and Kagome arrived at the Western Palace by the sunset of the second day. In a subtle show of independence, Kagome rode a horse with her few personal items in the poor, overstuffed, yellow backpack. Inuyasha didn't bring anything, as per usual, and barged pass the entrance guards.

By the time they were shown to Sesshomaru's meeting room, Kagome was calming from her laughter. Inuyasha was calming from his unsuccessful attempt at being faster and stronger than said entrance guards. The room was softly lit with candles, and beautiful ink paintings adorned the walls. The stoic lord sat behind a burgundy wood table, focusing on the paperwork in front of him.

"Jakken, show the priestess to her room. We shall discuss those duties in the morning." Inuyasha glanced back at her before walking to sit with his brother. Kagome, on the other hand, allowed herself to be ushered away by a couple of servants. Jakken spoke up immediately, "Don't get any weird ideas, because I don't really care about a stupid human… but how is Rin? The lord gets to visit her more often than I, so speak up, woman. Tell me about Rin. That girl grown any? She still talking in third person? Odd child. Well? Why haven't you said anything yet?" The surprised priestess couldn't help but smile at his silly antics. The toad obviously cared about Rin, but he was working himself into a worried mess without giving her a moment to respond. "Jakken" She interrupted, "Join me for tea at any point and I shall tell you all about Rin. Right now, I must rest to be ready for my talk with your lord."

The small beak like mouth tightened as he grouchily agreed, "Alright. Rest well, Miko." Blue eyes sparkled at the kind comment from the usually bitter toad, "Please, Jakken, call me Kagome." The green servant huffed and grumbled, "Weak humans need a pathetic amount of sleep, Lady Kagome, so go get some." Then, he waddled away, the servants disappearing after. Memories of a much more despicable Jakken at Inu no Taisho's grave left her smiling at his improvement.

The room, while an eastern extravagance, had the one thing she really wanted to see, a futon. Kagome released her hair after placing her supplies near the bed and stretched her aching body across it. There was a tray of rice, fish, and stew nearby which was quickly devoured, before she welcomed sleep. It was strange how she could doze so easily in a castle of demons.

With the singing of birds at dawn, Kagome awoke from her peaceful slumber. She quietly sang to herself while dressing and pulling her long tresses into a ponytail. When she was ready, the young miko pulled out a novel to read.

An hour passed until a servant came to show her back to the meeting room where Sesshomaru awaited her presence. "Priestess, do you still desire aiding this Sesshomaru in business?" He started.

"Yes, I would like to help you Sesshomaru." His eyes shot to her immediately, "This Sesshomaru is a lord, miko. Do not forget such basic formalities."

"Then, please stop forgetting to address me as Kagome." Her sweet smile sparkled in challenge as she yet again tried to get him to call her by her name. When amber eyes did not meet with hostility but with her playful confidence, he countered, "Very well, miko. These scrolls contain information about each female. Have the information organized and all eligible females scheduled for the next four weeks. Jakken will supply you with any missing information and will see to it that your messages are sent. That is all, priestess."

"Alright, I'll contact you after I go through the information. Bye, Sesshomaru." The stubborn pair stared at each other for a moment before Kagome slid the door close behind her.

Hours passed, and Kagome had scrolls unrolled all across her floor and table. She found that some girls had multiple scrolls while others shared one. First, she had to take count of the total number and each girl's name. Then, there was the business of writing a scroll of their social positions in court. Next, there was rewriting a brand new scroll with the information for each girl presented in a more efficient manner. The original scrolls were a mess, with long, elaborate statements which basically boiled down to "Favorite Color: Emerald Green".

After a hard but successful first day, Kagome wanted to stretch her legs and clear her mind before returning to her work. She carried her hot tea into a garden and sat on a stone bench beside a large koi pond. The wind still bit with an early morning chill as she sipped the warm beverage. Orange and white koi leisurely swam back and forth, their large scales shining in the light. A lot of plants in the garden weren't in bloom, but it was still green and healthy. Such clean, positive energy from this environment purified her mind and soul of stress. By the end of her cup, she stood rejuvenated. A glance eastward had blue meeting gold, as she caught Sesshomaru's gaze. She offered a small wave, but he ignored her to return into the building.

"Well, this is a great start." Kagome spoke sarcastically in hushed tones, before looking to the sky once more. "I can do this! I've got this!" Pumping herself up, she hurried back to her chamber to begin working on more scrolls.

It was well after dinner when the priestess finished the last scroll for the 273rd woman wanting Sesshomaru's hand in marriage. Surprisingly, her door slid open to find an annoyed western lord lightly glaring at her. "Woman, cease your stomach's noises and eat your dinner." He commanded. Kagome was completely lost, and was only just registering how dark it was in her room. She had been so caught up in finishing that she hadn't eaten lunch nor lit a candle after dusk.

The frustrated lord was about to turn and leave when she piped up, "Wait, Sesshomaru, would you join me while I ate? I have some questions about preference to lower the amount of eligible ladies." He hesitated, but eventually made his way to sit by the table with her as she gathered the tray of food. Before she even took a bite of rice, the inquisitive miko asked, "Are there any social classes that you will not look at? Can you describe any physical attributes or personality traits that you would prefer?"

She managed several bites before he began to speak. "Daughters of Generals, Daiyoukai, or princesses, they must be full demons of the court. No cats." He quieted in thought for a minute, while Kagome wrote down what he said. She took another mouthful of rice when he spoke up again, "She must be strong and able to produce a full blooded heir. Remove any promiscuous females or ones with large familial debt. Is that enough, priestess?"

The miko finished scribbling down her notes, before taking her last bite of food. "I'll have a report ready for you of the remaining girls by morning. Thank you." Her focus was already on the scrolls; Kagome peeked at the information and then designate it to the "keep" or "go" piles. She only paused when she noticed the long silver hair shining in the freshly lit candlelight. Sesshomaru had stayed; he was reading one of the scrolls with a subtle wrinkle over his brow.

A small wave of worry sunk in as the ideas behind him looking at her work pounded away at her confidence. So she tried, "Can I help you with anything?" It took way too long for his steady gaze to rise from the page, and it took even longer for him to speak.

"What language is this written in?" Kagome instantly giggled at the relief from this question, but when he continued to stare, she felt uneasy again. He didn't know about her time traveling and now she had to lie without lying. "It's, um, Japanese, but it's just not the complicated forms that, um, are common… at this time." That was a lot harder than she had hoped, but he took it.

"Can you read and write in any other languages?" Kagome didn't think about what that could mean in this era and spoke truthfully, "I was taught English and dabbled in Mandarin and Hangul." It slowly came to her understanding through a cold stare, that those names were probably still foreign. She wasn't even sure if he would recognize the names China or Korea, so Kagome quietly stared back.

A low baritone hum floated to her ears as he quietly accepted her answer. With a quick glance back to the open scroll in his hands, he continued, "This Sesshomaru was under the impression that miko only studied medicinal remedies and spiritual cleansing. Is this no longer accurate?"

"Well, that is still true for a lot of priestess with, you know, there's archery or staff fighting skills. I wasn't born into the life of a priestess, so it should be understandable that I do not match your general expectations." Kagome grew more confident in her words as she spoke. "However, there are many monks and miko that have additional skills beyond the ones required in their chosen life style. Please don't think too much of my education; I wasn't even the best in my class." With memories of the "C"s and "D"s she received in high school, the young woman chuckled in embarrassment.

Again, amber eyes stared as if questioning everything she had said, but after a moment, he gracefully left. The sudden exit had the poor girl staring at the door in confusion for a full two minutes before resuming to the task at hand. She would see him again as soon as she finished sorting through the hundreds of bachelorettes. A rush of energy surged through her, causing Kagome to shift into overdrive with a bold smile.

As she had promised, the sleepy miko stood before his office ready to present that morning. Kagome was as tired as hell, but she was quite confident in this meeting going very smoothly. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE LEAVING ME HERE?" It was Inuyasha. "Aren't your people used to you not being here? Why do I have to be here doing your job this time?" The door quickly slid open as if Sesshomaru needed to present Kagome to Inuyasha. The small, silver dog ears straightened in surprise at her presence.

"Inuyasha, there are matters that require my presence elsewhere." The lord spoke in even tones. Kagome's eyes slipped from Inuyasha's scared expression to the eyes of the man whose bewitching words were calm and clear. Sesshomaru stood a head taller than her with perfect posture; his broad chest faced her while his cold eyes watched the deflating half-demon.

Kagome allowed her lids to slowly blink as a memory flashed across the darkness. It wasn't just the scene of Inuyasha standing in front of her with Tessaiga or how his voice sounded when he was promising to protect her from Sesshomaru. It was like a feeling of warmth and trust. However, by the reopening of her eyes, Kagome was already wondering if she had imagined it.

The frustrated younger brother sighed and crossed his arms, "Fine. Be secretive. I'll do the 'Stand-In-Lord' thing until you get back, but only, and I mean "only", if you promise nothing will happen to Kagome."

There was a slight glare added into the look the lord was sending Inuyasha, as if to say "troublesome". However, the older demon properly faced him before promising, "This Sesshomaru will see to it that the miko returns alive." It was obviously not what Inuyasha wanted but with a huff and a puff the hanyou left the room. He knew it was as good as he was going to get out of a demon that rarely made promises.

In a maneuver to get out of the way of Inuyasha's rough exit, Kagome turned to have her back merely a foot from the lord. Once the younger brother started stomping down the hall without closing the door Sesshomaru moved to close it himself. The long, white sleeve moved across ebony hair, startling Kagome enough to jump into action.

"So! I've come to update!" She enthusiastically chirped. His nod and elegant return to his position behind the large desk cued the girl to continue. "The number of eligible ladies has dropped from two hundred and seventy-three to twenty-one. There are two Daiyoukai, seven princesses and the rest are the daughters of generals with connections to the upper court. Are there any new requirements you would like to help lower the number more or should I start making travel arrangements?" As per usual, he did not outwardly show surprise or that he was impressed. The stoic lord simply digested the information in silence before commanding, "Jakken will send word of our upcoming arrival to the remaining women. We leave at dawn. Go rest, miko."

With her work a success, the priestess smiled brightly as she stood to leave. "Good day, Sesshomaru."


	3. Its Cold Up North

Chapter 3

It was all happening so fast, and yet it wasn't. Kagome had been so swept away with the whole affair of helping Sesshomaru that she hadn't realized it had been seven days since he had asked for her help at the spring. As for "spring", she had spent some of her spare time wondering why the deadline was in spring. Perhaps it's just tradition to marry or mate at that time. At any case, if her misery in missing Shippo and Rin were this bad, she may not last until then.

It felt unreal to step out of the palace to find Sesshomaru, Jakken and Ah-Un waiting for her at the main gate. Their eyes followed her as she sheepishly joined them. The small toad unhappily spoke first, "Good morning, Lady Kagome. Hurry up and get on Ah-Un so we can find some stupid wench to- _Whack_ \- but my lord!" A single glare had Jakken silenced while distracting them from Kagome's clumsy mounting. She could only offer a little "I'm ready" smile at the dejected servant and possibly annoyed dog demon.

The plan was to go from furthest lady in the northern island and work their way to the islands in the south. The priestess had made sure to pack her modern winter jacket and thermals. As fun as it was to blend in with the other miko of this era, suffering from something like cold temperatures just didn't make sense. Blue eyes watched silver hair shimmer over fluttering white fabric and soft clouds as Sesshomaru flew in front. The last she had seen him from this view was when she clung to the white fur inside of Naraku.

Kagome looked down at the trees and villages beneath her and realized that this was one of the rare times where she wasn't on a flying animal during some great rush or battle. Sure, Ah-Un was flying along with great speed, but it wasn't fast enough to cause fear for the girl who spent the last couple years on the backs of Kirara and Inuyasha. Ah-Un was a very steady and graceful two-headed dragon, so she took a risk. The miko released her grip on the reigns and held her arms out. Chilly and powerful, the wind rushed between her fingers and into her long hair. The pressure rammed against her chest only to slip around her small form in an endless embrace. Ebony locks tousled about her face as if they were black flames against ivory skin. Kagome closed her eyes and smiled at this wonderful feeling of freedom.

She didn't know how long she stayed in that position and she really didn't care. The young miko eventually opened her eyes and returned her hands to the reigns, but her worries had calmed. However, a new problem stepped up in the form of company. She had gotten so used to either being alone or having friends that willingly talked to her. So, for the second time in those couple hours, Kagome took a risk.

"Jakken, do you still want to hear about Rin?" She called to the poor toad clinging to his lord's leg. In an instant, the anxious servant jumped from his position to catch and climb onto the front of the saddle. Big, yellow eyes stared up at her with his complete attention. Relieved to have conversation, the two prattled on about the younger girl and her little adventures in the village. Rin was there to assimilate into human society, but it hadn't come without some struggles for the old Kaede. They continued on during the preparation of camp and through dinner. Jakken wanted to hear all of it, while Sesshomaru relaxed against a nearby tree.

"Oh! And then there was this one time when she spent a whole week stalking me to figure out where my home was! Can you imagine how cute she was as she sneaked around the village with disguises?" The enthusiastic miko paused, "I spent the afternoon collecting herbs and found her sleeping against a tree on my way back. Silly girl had gotten so bored of watching me pick plants that she drifted off." Kagome laughed as Jakken cackled. Then, the toad went silent and the atmosphere changed.

"But wait, Lady Kagome, isn't your hut in the village?" The toad stared. Sesshomaru stared.

"Y-yes, I have a hut in the village. When I say "home" it is the place where I was raised by my mother and grandfather. I have a little brother, too." She awkwardly explained. Kagome hoped Jakken wouldn't push further; her family's location shouldn't be so carelessly leaked.

"Oh! My lord has such similar family conditions!" The toad squawked, "An absent father and a younger sibling, you are lucky that your brother isn't as ungrateful as that hanyou. Lord Sesshomaru has such high expectations weighing heavily on him to surpass the great Inutaisho. I think my lord has surpassed him one hundred, no, a thousand times over. He's the best of the best-." "Jakken" The ever praised lord interrupted with a hint of annoyance and a dash of exhaustion. But, the servant got the wrong idea, "But my lord! I must explain to this human that there is no one as perfect and powerful as you, my lord!"

A cold glare from Sesshomaru seemed to go completely ignored by the oblivious imp. Kagome, however, broke the tense feeling with a fit of giggles. "He's powerful, yes, but perfection? I would not wish that curse on any one, not even Naraku." Seeing that she had caught Jakken's attention, Kagome recited the passage she had read an hour before, "Perfection is an idea in constant fluctuation based on changing dependent variables: interactions, time, location, personal maturity, intellect, etc. By the time someone reaches what they thought was perfection, the original concept would be obsolete." This was around the time that Inuyasha would blow her off and call her stupid from rambling about her school studies. Miroku would have just nodded in agreement, while Sango would have looked for an experience to compare it to. Shippo would have been completely lost, and Rin would have chirped in about Sesshomaru. Sapphire eyes drooped as she was hit with waves of loneliness. Kagome really missed them.

"You women jump from one emotion to the next. Go to sleep already." The green servant's voice crackled like the fire. With the unrolling of her sleeping bag, Kagome did just that. She quickly fell into a deep sleep. It would all be okay because she was under the protection of Lord Sesshomaru and the quirky but loyal servant Jakken. She would see her feudal family soon.

At dawn they started off again, it was planned to reach the first lady by midafternoon. This day went similarly to the first but exceedingly more boring. Kagome was drifting off when they had arrived; the slight jolt of landing jostled her awake. Servants shuffled about to greet them, but Sesshomaru received most of the doting.

The yawning miko pulled out her report on this participant. They were here for the ice demon Lady Yukiko. She had been promoted by her mother, Lady Yuki-Onna, general to the Northern Lord. This powerful demon was highly respected for her abilities to blow away or freeze entire armies in her personal snow storms.

The group was denied audience with the girl that day, but Kagome used it to her advantage to collect more information. When she inquired if anyone needed medical help, there seemed to be a couple odd injuries that needed attending to. There were two instances of frostbite that she could only help them manage. Kagome assisted the make of a special boot so that the servant had more control over a blackened foot. When the timid demon girl took her first step, free of her crutch, many people cheered in celebration.

Admittedly, they hadn't been too kind to Kagome due to her being a priestess, but with this tiny victory, the servants flocked to meet her. As the day went on the true reasoning behind all of the small injuries came to light. The young lady of this house was very emotional and for a snow woman that was very dangerous.

Sesshomaru and Jakken had chosen to retire into the shared room given to them, but Kagome spent this time around a small fire in the servants' courters. They had gathered just outside of their tiny housing to share tea and stories around the fire. She sipped warm tea as the frostbitten demon quietly admitted, "You see, Lady Kagome, with the main mistress of the house so frequently absent the young miss cannot help but act rebelliously. This foolish demon tried to alert my lady of her daughter's action and was rightly punished for it. It was not my place, you see?" Kagome nodded her head, "I see, but I don't like it. The most loyal servants are the ones who care about their masters." There was a soft hum around the fire as several demons agreed.

"Are you loyal to your master, miko?" Another demon lightly chuckled as others watched her with more interest.

"What? 'My master'?" Kagome choked out, completely lost.

Another demon piped up this time, "Yeah, miss, are you loyal to Lord Sesshomaru?" And another, deeper voice chimed in, "Yeah, do you care about your Lord?" They all watched her face turn beat red and burst out laughing. Then suddenly, they were quiet and bowing towards her. No, it was the angry demon behind her that they bowed to.

"We are leaving." Sesshomaru demanded as he threw her pack into her arms. There was an eerie drop in temperature as the wind picked up. Before following after him, Kagome managed to dig out a heavy winter jacket, wool beanie and blue scarf. She waved goodbye at her new friends as she rushed to catch up.

Somehow, in the few hours they had been there, the stoic lord had managed to anger some demon with special snowstorm powers. It pays to be prepared, but Kagome saw that a certain imp wasn't. Poor Jakken shivered and sniffled in discomfort while he raced to keep up with his lord. He looked miserable. She didn't know if it would be disrespectful, but the miko reached down from her spot on Ah-Un and snatched him up.

He squawked in surprise, "What are you doing? Unhand me woman!" But as soon as she had him sitting on the saddle, wrapped in her scarf and beanie, he stopped complaining.

"I'm sorry Jakken; I miss my kid." The raven haired girl softly admitted, trying to excuse her actions.

"You mean the fox kit, right?" The snow fell more heavily, causing Kagome to pull her hood up. "Mm-hm" she hummed in agreement.

"Is it normal for a priestess to adopt a demon son?" His voice calm enough to not crackle and squeak as it usually did.

"Is it normal for a demon lord to adopt a human daughter?" She countered.

"Not at all! That's what makes Lord Sesshomaru the best! My Lord is the kindest, most generous demon lord in all of history!" Kagome quietly snickered at the sudden burst of energy in the toad. Jakken sat happily in his warm cocoon as his voice crackled with every enthusiastic praise.

Sesshomaru led them through the dark night and onto their next location. The air was still chilled, but they had escaped the snow storm. Kagome, still on Ah-Un, clung to Jakken like a teddy bear as she fought to stay awake.

"Sesshomaru" The sleepy girl called out, "Why did we leave so quickly? Did something happen?" The pale figure in front of her never missed a step as he clarified, "She is not worthy."

"What?" Blurry eyes squinted in concentration, "Why?" After a moment of silence, Kagome tried again, "I need to know for my records should they come searching for why they were denied." She nibbled on her lower lip, hoping he would be baited. And like a victorious fisherman, Kagome lit up with a smile when the lord stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"She was in this Sesshomaru's futon." His voice was flat but Kagome liked to believe that even he was embarrassed at the situation. She liked to believe a lot of things. He continued walking as the miko dwelled on imagery of the poor lord's night.

With the rising sun, they came to the next palace. Beautiful women floated over the wooden patios in their luxurious kimono. They were all fox demons, Kagome realized as she reread her report on the next demoness.

Lady Haruka, a kitsune whose favorite color was blue. As the priestess looked around at the ladies swarming them and ushering them inside, she noticed that they were all wearing different shades of blue. Kagome really wanted to smack the lazy person who had recorded so little to identify the demoness.

A blonde regally stepped out of her home, gold eyes glistening with interest. There was no doubt this coy beauty was the daughter of the fox general. The black haired foxes bowed as she calmly stepped forward to greet her guests. Kagome stared in awe as Sesshomaru nodded in greeting.

Like silk and honey, Haruka spoke, "I am Haruka, daughter of a northern general. Has Lord Sesshomaru truly come to meet me?"

Kagome leaned around to peak at his face, trying to see any expression he might let slip. Nothing. His face was as stoic as ever when he replied, "Yes." The miko sighed at Sesshomaru's antics, while the demoness grew quite excited. Gold jewelry jingled as she spoke, "Come! We shall converse over breakfast. Your human looks hungry."

She had hoped she would get to see a new side of Sesshomaru, but Kagome excused herself to sleep in a guest room after finishing her meal. Eating in their company drained the last bit of energy she had. Haruka would talk about herself and then ask him a question, then talk about herself some more. Why? The great Lord of the West answered in melodic grunts and single word answers. He didn't even ask her any questions. The priestess knew that she would have to talk with him after this visit about communication being the key to a healthy relationship.

When Kagome awoke the warmth of the sun still hung in the air. In a bout of energy, she sprung to action and pulled out her records. The miko scribbled away about the transgression towards Sesshomaru and a couple notes about Haruka that she had heard that morning.

The fox was playful but never went far enough to insult her main guest. Her father was truly a nine-tailed fox of a thousand years, while she was only three hundred or so. The pen froze, Kagome stopped moving. How old was Sesshomaru? Did age matter to demons the same way that it did to humans? The miko stared at the paper in front of her as she racked her brain for some clue.

Sesshomaru had been alive before Inuyasha was born, so that's fifty years plus eighteen years plus four more for Kagome's time here. Alright, so he is definitely older than seventy-two. That just didn't sound right. Haruka was four times that, so he had to be more, right?

The raven haired girl sat mumbling to herself, glaring at the ceiling as if analyzing unbelievable, invisible data. Her lips had been sucked in to an unattractive frown, forehead rippled with wrinkles from furrowed brows, and eyes squinting to soft curves of black lashes. This was the face Sesshomaru was greeted with as he slid open the screen door.

"AH! Sesshomaru!" Kagome exclaimed. He deigned her worth of a single eyebrow raise as he entered and sat against the wall across from the lunatic. The poor lord wasn't expecting the miko to crawl over and plop down beside him, paper and pencil still in hand.

"Age is important to humans, but I don't know demon culture." Kagome spoke in hushed tones, "How old are you? Are there age limits and prejudices for demons that I should know?"

From one chatty female to another, Sesshomaru sighed before cursing the promise he made at the spring. "This Sesshomaru has lived for five hundred and sixty-five years." After enjoying the silence from the shocked miko, he calmly continued, "Dog demon children take twice as long to mature. Where a human would be ready to mate by age fourteen, a demon would only be ready after twenty-four years. Even then, they are viewed by many as too young."

"So, I won't have grandkids for ten more years, putting me at thirty. Maybe Shippo can hold off on mating Souten a little longer." Kagome gushed at the thought of their children before returning back to the soft glare of gold. "You would claim the kit's progeny as your pack?"

"Of course I would and his mate, too. She will be my child just as much as he is." The scent of honesty brushed his nose, while a soft 'hn' left his throat. The stoic lord closed his eyes and relaxed his head against the wall. "So, um, what's the report for Haruka?"

Sesshomaru thought on it for a moment before responding, "She is adequate strength, age and position. She speaks too much." There was a pause as thin lips stretched into the slightest of a smirk, "But, perhaps that is not intolerable."

Kagome missed her chance at seeing a new emotion shown on the porcelain face as she wrote down the good news. Without looking up the miko thoughtlessly asked, "What exactly are you looking for in a mate?"

Again, a long pause as the lord thought about his answer. Kagome had plenty of time to finish writing and reposition her sitting position. She sat with one knee bent so that she could rest her head on it while watching him.

"This Sesshomaru requires a full blooded heir to rule in my stead when the time comes. She cannot be someone who would bring shame to my clan." The miko fidgeted as she realized there wasn't anything else. He didn't need a wife; he just needed someone to produce him a son. Kagome's heart went out to the poor girl that would become his bride, for she would be quite lonely.

"Eat your dinner so that we may leave." Sesshomaru spoke with eyes still closed. A dark brow shot up at the resting demon until a servant arrived with a tray of food. She somberly ate while mulling over their conversation. Kagome noted how she really failed all of his requirements, but it didn't bother her. She couldn't be paid enough to mate this slow talking, stoic jerk.

As soon as she was done with the cooked pork and rice, they met Jakken and Ah-Un to continue their journey. The next two locations were past a certain familiar mountain range. The first, being Rina and Riko as the princesses of the northern lord, and then, Miyako as a bat general's daughter. With those three, their trip through the north would be complete.


	4. Unexpected Affection

Chapter 4

Tokijin sang as it was pulled from its sheath, the evil within causing Kagome to shiver. That's when she saw it. A small tornado was spinning its obnoxious way toward her. In the moment the wind settled, Kouga was tenderly holding her hands. Jakken puffed up in tiny toad fury.

"How's my woman today? Ready to settle down with me yet?" Her hands were suddenly empty as the incorrigible wolf leapt out of the way of Sesshomaru's sword. "Oh no! Not another stinking dog!" Kouga dodged a couple more half-assed attacks by the quiet lord, until Sesshomaru realized that Kagome's life was not in danger. He promptly turned, sheathed his sword and continued walking.

"Stupid wolf is lucky my lord is so generous." Jakken mumbled to himself.

"Kouga! I have some business with Sesshomaru right now, so we'll have to talk more next time. Say hi to Ayame for me!" Kagome called out to the brown wolf as she was carried further away by Ah-Un. She could see him wink before disappearing back into a funnel of clouds.

"Lady Kagome, why do you know such an unsavory wolf?" Jakken squawked up at her.

"He kidnapped me to find more jewel shards." The miko blushed in embarrassment and giggled at the memories. "I don't really remember what triggered it but I remember beginning angry and then suddenly he was calling me his woman. He really is in love with Ayame, you know?"

A couple more crackly outbursts from Jakken about wolves and the company she keeps properly summarized the next two hours. This brought them to be surrounded by wolves as they walked closer to the Palace of the North.

The main gate stood grandly with an ox and bear demon posted on each side. A one-eyed owl perched over one of the doors, head twitching at impossible degrees of rotation. It was watching them; Kagome shivered.

"Halt!" The ox demon snorted, the ring in his nose shining with every movement. "This is the Northern Lord's Palace, what business do you have here?" As Jakken gasped at his insolence of not recognizing the "Great Lord Sesshomaru", Kagome softly smiled at how deep and clear his voice was regardless of the bull head.

Brown eyes shifted carefully over to the white cladded figure and the smiling miko, "Ah, yes, Lord Sesshomaru and his guests. My lord has been awaiting your arrival; you may pass."

This palace had one entrance into a large building built into a mountainside, but glimpses of smoke and rooftops around the side showed that there were more buildings behind it. The strange owl flew overhead and into the main hall. Kagome's eyes flittered from the stone floor to the beautiful pelts adorning the walls. She suddenly wondered if it was weird to see your family member skinned and hung up on a wall.

"Welcome!" A friendly voice called out at the end of the room; Kagome jumped a little. A large man with battle scars adorning his face and arms clad in armor and white pelts greeted with open arms. "I am Gorai! Lord of the North!" He kept walking closer until he held the miko in a fierce hug. Jakken watched on with his staff ready to strike and his mouth still agape, while Sesshomaru couldn't have looked any more bored.

"You must be Sister Kagome!" This wolf had yet to lower his boisterous volumes, "Ayame and Kouga's pack have talked about you with the highest of praise! Come!" Gorai released his hold just to slip his clawed hand to sit reassuringly at her mid-back.

"We will feast tonight! Your lord shall meet my two daughters and I shall hear the stories of the Shikon Miko!"

With that, Kagome was swept away to a guest room to rest before the festivities. The silent dog and toad demons simply followed after. This was not what she was expecting from the northern lord after having known Sesshomaru. He even offered her access to the main hot spring to bathe, and she was all over that. Kagome hadn't even fully put down her poor yellow bag before snatching her bathing supplies and fresh clothes.

"I'm going to bathe; I'll be back after a good soak." The miko called over her shoulder as she closed the door.

"Eep!" The poor girl squeaked as she turned to see a guard posted at their door. The grey wolf demon bowed deeply in apology, "Might there be something this servant can do for you, sister?"

"Um, yeah. Can you show me to the bath?"

With a fanged grin, the servant motioned for her to walk with him, "This way, Sis." It was a pleasant walk to the enclosed hot spring; he only told her basic information like where to find fabrics for drying and such. The miko and wolf stopped in front of a closed screen door, "Here we are. I shall wait here to return you once you have finished." His green eyes turned to stare at the wall as if he was already waiting, but Kagome knew he meant well.

"Thank you." She muttered while entering the mystery room.

Walking through a preparation station to store her clothes while she bathed, the miko stripped and placed her supplies beside the water's edge. The warm liquid felt like heaven as it slowly engulfed her aching body. After a moment of melting into bliss, Kagome reached for her shampoo and began the ritual of cleansing.

All was right with the world, as long, black hair floated freely around the priestess's body. That is until muffled voices caused blue eyes to crack open.

"But, sister, we shouldn't bother her while she bathes. That's rude." A hushed yet reprimanding voice echoed within the preparation house.

"So, we bathe too." A much louder and enthusiastic girl explained, right before she came barging into the room.

Kagome turned in the water to rest on her folded arms along the stone rim. The loud one, although only wrapped in a towel, had a bushy brown tail and long, bounteous, brown hair. The other girl modestly followed after with straight, black hair and tail. She looked like a doll with painted red lips and sickly pale skin, while her sister was as tanned and healthy looking as Kouga. However, the miko did notice the touches of white in both of their hair and tail, reminding her of a certain lord.

"Hiya! I'm Rina, the eldest." The brunette barked while stomping into the spring with her hair bows still resting above pointed ears. The doll-like one bowed with as proper greeting she could manage in this situation, "Good afternoon, Sister Kagome. I am Rika and the second daughter to the northern lord. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Kagome bowed in return and there was a moment of peace between the two until the half-lidded, green eyes widened comically.

"Dear Sister! Your ribbons!" Rina had already carelessly submerged herself, leaving only the longest strands of hair still floating along the surface. By the time the meek girl reached her, the green bows sagged forward like hound ears.

Like a chime of bells, the miko laughed. She laughed and then they laughed. It's addictive spell weaving through and lightening their hearts.

"Sister Kagome" Rika hesitantly started, "You know Brother Kouga and his pack, yes?"

"I do." Blue eyes sparkled with fond memories.

"And Ginta? Do you know Ginta?" The poor girl's voice was getting quieter and quieter as her cheeks grew more and more red.

"I do."

"Is he- is he…" The pale complexion was as red as a tomato and her hushed voice was now only small squeaks as she finished, ""Is he well?"

Kagome's own cheeks had grown red as well as she realized the true meaning to the question. Rina had remained mutely laughing in hysterics behind her sister. When Rika noticed, her cheeks puffed up in a mighty pout sending her elder sister into a fit of giggles and cooing over her cuteness.

"He was well when I saw him last." Like the warmth of a flame, Kagome's words melted the scowl from the girl's face and left a lovely, elegant smile in its place.

Within moments, the girls finished their bath and ushered Kagome to their dressing room. The guard that had waited by the door merely followed behind the giggling group to stand at that door until needed.

The wolf demons that Kagome had met tended to wear pelt skirts, arm and leg bands, and black, armor breastplates, but that was in a world where they expected battle. This world had ladies in garb fairly similar to her miko outfit, but with extra flair. It seemed even the ladies of court needed to be able to rid themselves of their tiers of open kimono and move freely in hakama.

As she looked down at the outfit the sister's had convinced her to wear, Kagome smiled in awe. She was thankful that she wouldn't be confined in a tight kimono with her luck. The main, light blue kimono tucked securely into the indigo hakama just below her bust. There were three layers of orange, white and red covered in a beautiful blue kimono. She hadn't really felt the four layers until that fifth one had been slipped on. There were orange and gold embroidered koi swimming everywhere. Rina and Rika wore similar outfits but both in shades of green with gold wolves and cranes to distinguish them.

There was a moment of worry as Kagome studied her wet, combed hair as she stared at the mirror; she looked too much like Kikyo. Rika paused in applying her makeup and took the brush from her guest.

"Wolves are wild and free." She calmly spoke while tying the long, black tresses into a high ponytail. "Our hair is only bound enough to not endanger our lives if at all." Blues eyes glanced to the loose black and brown hair tinted with white. In four years, she hadn't noticed. Pigtails were such a trend to look cuter in her time that she hadn't second guessed Ayame's style.

"Her mom is a black wolf from the mainland, so she turned out extra pretty. That's why she looks so good with makeup. It doesn't look quite right on me. Dad and the others say that I won't need makeup if I plan to lead our pack someday." Rina piped up while fumbling with new green hair ribbons. The young sister stepped over to help her elder before finishing her eye makeup. And soon enough, it was time to go to the feast.

The three ladies glided into the room, only parting when Kagome went to sit beside Sesshomaru. Jakken stood against a far wall, eyeing everyone in a squinty glare. With a glance, she found that the stoic face only looked to his tea and to the northern lord. Did he see her new outfit?

"Welcome my family and guests!" The boisterous lord raised his sake dish, "We are here to celebrate the arrival of our Sister Kagome, the Shikon Miko, and for two of my daughters to meet with Sesshomaru, Lord of the West. Girls! Introduce yourselves so that we me eat!" His deep laughter and joyous voice penetrated everyone except Sesshomaru, whose gold eyes slid upon the two sitting across from him.

They bowed, Rina a little faster than her sister so that she could speak first. "I am Rina, Princess of the North. Pleased to meet you." Rika offered a soft smile, "And I am Rika, younger Princess of the North."

Sesshomaru set down his cup before returning a bow, but did not speak. Gorai burst into chuckles, "As silent as I've heard! You've met, now let's eat!" Humanoid demons cheered and howled in delight as they began eating from the many roasted and raw boars.

Things continued smoothly with the exchanging of stories regarding Koga, Ayame and their packs. It turned out that Gorai was originally from the same pack as Ayame, but he fought with her grandfather about everything. He laughed at how he became the northern lord out of spite for "that old dog".

Even amongst such warmth and laughter, Sesshomaru sat quietly unless directly addressed. His features were ever blank and cold. Kagome frowned a little at her companion, who still had not glanced her way.

They were well into the hours of the night when Kagome stood to excuse herself for bed. The tipsy demons stopped their singing to melodically wish her a good night. Rika had long been excused and Rina was currently in an arm wrestling match with her friends. To her surprise, Sesshomaru stood as well, triggering a dozing Jakken to snap awake.

They walked together down the hallways with Jakken complaining, "About time you get to sleep, stupid girl! You better not sleep in all day tomorrow!" She smiled before yawning, "I'll wake up early, Jakken. Don't worry."

And true to her word, Kagome awoke just after dawn. Inuyasha had trained her to wake up early while they were hunting jewel shards. It was almost impossible to sleep in nowadays. Sesshomaru, according to his most loyal servant, had taken it upon himself to privately talk with the sisters. She couldn't imagine him actually saying much, but something is better than nothing.

The miko donned her white kimono and red hakama, stuffing her modern pajamas into her bag. As she did before, the report on the two wolves had to be amended. Rika, being interested in some other man meant that even if she were loyal to Sesshomaru, she'd be unhappy. Then, she thought on Rina's personality. She was rough and loud like Inuyasha, and she looked and acted like a fifteen year old. Rina would love her pups fiercely, but she was very set in the ways of wolves. Sesshomaru might keep the child to be raised in the western palace, and that would keep her from her family and friends.

It's no good, the miko decided. "Jakken, could you fetch Sesshomaru so that we may continue to our next destination?"

After a pointed stare of intense thought, Jakken responded, "Yeah, don't hurt yourself while I'm away or Lord Sesshomaru will be most angry." The short green imp waddled out of the room, staff in hand. She could hear his mumbling about frail human females while casually packing her things.

Kagome met with Gorai one last time to announce their departure and say her goodbyes. He hugged her again and welcomed her back at any point in the near future. The princesses and Sesshomaru arrived shortly after the hug, Rina and Rika grabbing Kagome's hands to give her their best wishes.

It wasn't long before they were once again traveling through the morning air, Ah-Un pleased with their rest. And yet, something bothered Kagome greatly, causing her lips to dip in a subtle frown.

"Sesshomaru! Have I angered you in some way?" She called out against the opposing wind.

Again, he ignored her.

It was best she didn't push him. Unlike Inuyasha, there weren't any subjugation beads or any memories of the dead to protect her life. It was the longest taking short trip she had had with the lord and her nerves were twisting in worry. When they started to descend, Kagome watched in terror as they flew into a large, dark hole. This sinister cavity had to be a hundred feet in diameter and the pitch black engulfed everything she knew.

Squeezing her eyes closed, the miko summoned her powers and opened her holy awareness. First, she saw the aura of the dragon beneath her and then she found Sesshomaru and Jakken. With a sigh of relief, Kagome watched the powerful demonic energy glow in the darkness and remembered pictures of nebulas in space. He was truly beautiful.

Warm light touched her cheeks and she knew it was time to open her eyes. Blue eyes widened as they focused past the familiar white figure and onto the cavern around them. There were glowing bugs and foliage everywhere. It all looked ghostly and translucent but illuminated prettily in blues and greens.

"You did not return as you said you would." His soft, deep voice almost didn't reach her, but before it truly could, thunder echoed throughout the cave. No, it wasn't thunder but thousands of wings circling the shadowy ceiling. One of those dark shadows dropped, the glint of a blade catching Kagome's eye.

"Sesshomaru!" She yelled.

Sparks from Tokijin clashing with the sword of the attacker lit the scene and showed that it was a female bat demon. Her long, dark hair whipped through the air, braided with bulbs of light tucked within them.

Here and there, images of her companion and the demoness would appear with sparks flying from their swords. Jakken cheered on as Kagome left the safety of Ah-Un's saddle. The bat demon slammed into the ground and bounced from what looked like a right hook from Sesshomaru, but she wasn't done. Hopping up quickly, they disappeared yet again. It was the white form of the quiet lord that dropped harshly to the ground, before rolling out of the way of another attack.

This was taking too long; a fight with Inuyasha would have been over with within the first three minutes. More bat demons stood just barely out of the shadows to laugh at the lord.

"That's what he gets for keeping a human as a pet." One faceless shadow taunted.

"Dogs always show their bellies for affection." Another one bellowed, "An ugly human like that could only be for a good fuck."

Kagome gritted her teeth in anger, her nails digging painfully into her palms. The loud battle noises of the fight might have been unbearably loud in the enclosed cavern, but those voices were crystal clear.

"That good-for-nothing mutt will die protecting a whore, just like his dear ol' daddy."

"ENOUGH!" Her furious roar ceased everything. That was it. Kagome drew her bow and notched an arrow toward the crowd. Even on the cloudiest days, the light of her powers seemed dim, but in this darkness it was different. In this world of shadows her pink aura, her power, engulfed the whole cavern in her warm light.

"We came here to meet with Lady Miyako." Her voice remained strong and commanding as the demons squinted and shifted at the slight burning on their skin. They looked amongst themselves as if not knowing what to do.

"I am Miyako." The warrior who had been fighting Sesshomaru stepped forward.

Lowering her bow, Kagome hastily walked past the lord and into Miyako's personal space. "Attacking without provocation is just rude." Fiery blue eyes shifted back to crowd as she continued, "Secondly, Inu no Taisho died so that my best friend could live. Anyone who would insult such a man knows nothing of respect and honor."

Although Miyako stood taller than Kagome, the look in the smaller girl's eyes showed she believed her words with every fiber of her being. The miko hadn't gotten so furious in such a long time. Azure eyes were locked with the darker sapphire ones as the ladies fought a silent battle of wills.

There was a flash of a smirk before Miyako leaned forward and captured Kagome's lips in a passionate kiss. The demoness then walked past her to address the crowd, "I approve of this miko and her dog. Insult my guests and I'll kill you." She then sashayed away, leaving the group to follow her. The villagers bowed in apologies as the holy power dissipated from the air and returned them to the shadows.

Kagome glared at the screen door separating them from the currently changing Miyako. Without checking on Sesshomaru's location, she spoke, "I did not return directly after my bath, but I returned. The girls wanted me to look nice and its fun to escape my miko's garb from time to time." The priestess didn't expect a response so she kept her eyes locked onto the door.

"You are better suited to blue than red." Kagome's eyes widened for the second surprise today as she swung her head to look at him. It wasn't a compliment; it was just a fact to him. But, damn the effect, Kagome thought her face was going to split in two from how big her smile was. His metallic eyes only flickered open to allow for a moment of shared eye contact before sliding back closed.

The sliding of the screen door caught their attention as Miyako entered the room. Her wings were gone and she looked about as demonic as Sesshomaru, very different to the armored warrior they had just confronted moments ago. Instead of wearing a full length kimono, the demoness came in wearing a grey hakama tied over a navy kimono barely a shade lighter than her dark blue hair. As masculine as the color scheme was, the glowing gems in her braid and jewelry gave her an elegant tomboy feel.

"My father isn't here, or else he would have properly greeted you." The navy haired woman spoke, "You are here to seek a mate that will produce you a strong heir." The cold lord didn't respond, so she continued, "I could give you a strong child, but I am now unwilling. The Lord Gorai has already accepted me into his army."

"Did you join to become closer to your father?" Kagome chimed.

"Yes, in a way. My father is very good at being a general for the north, and with no sons, there aren't many distractions from said position." Miyako answered while pouring tea for her guests. She and Kagome sat the closest together, but the demoness made sure to turn to face the miko properly. The ladies allowed Sesshomaru to just sit and listen against a far wall, undisturbed.

"That sounds lonely, but it explains why you would want to become a powerful soldier." The miko somberly sipped her tea, "What about the others? Why are they so cruel to strangers?"

"The last stranger we welcomed was a half demon a couple years ago. He was a beautiful man until he sought out our strongest and absorbed her. My father wasn't here and I was just a silly girl. I pledged that day that I would become the strongest so that should Naraku ever return, I could get revenge for my mother." Kagome flinched at the name; it held the dark memories of all those that suffered by his hand.

"We have concluded our business. Miko let us depart." Sesshomaru regally left to collect Jakken and Ah-Un. Said miko, floundered for a minute as she switched from anger at Sesshomaru for interrupting some girl bonding to apologetic for their sudden departure.

Silver hair sparkled prettily in the blue glow of plants, as he waited for her to mount the two headed dragon. She only had a moment after securing her yellow backpack before Ah-Un jerked forward at the command of their owner. Kagome wasn't scared going back through the dark tunnel, because she knew there was light and warm breezes waiting for her on the other side.

Well, she was wrong. The sun decided to hide behind dark clouds, reminding her that February was still a part of winter. She had been given one month to introduce him to twenty-one women. Kagome pulled out her map and held it against the saddle. Ah-Un paid no attention to the miko releasing the reigns and continued following after their master.

Today was the fourth day and they had met with the five prospects of the northern island. If they could stay on schedule, the eastern coast would only take three days. That would give them plenty of time to visit a certain village with certain children.

"Hey, Sesshomaru!" Kagome called out in melodic tone. "I made sure to schedule a day with Rin while we were in the east. So, after we meet with the first three ladies, it's Inuyasha's Forest!" The silly nineteen year old held the map above her head to cheer, while the demon lord hummed in agreement. Upon hearing the plans, Jakken joined in the cheer until it turned into mindless praises to Sesshomaru. He then found himself thrown to Ah-Un, Kagome catching him just in time.

Now that the priestess felt comfortable enough to ride the two-headed dragon without holding on, she hooked the straps of her backpack over the front corners of the saddle. Sliding her legs beneath the bag was a little tricky, but once she was secure, Kagome used the back of the backpack as a table. Jakken would peak around to behold what strange thing she was attempting this time.

"So, Yukiko is a 'no' due to seduction attempt, and Haruka is… passable?" The miko checked, watching for any sign of interest for the stoic lord. Again, he surprised her by falling back to fly at her side. His sleeves flapped by her head as gold eyes peered down at her work. The subtle, "hn" would have been lost to untrained ears, but as it were, Kagome understood and continued.

"What about Rina? She was the brown wolf princess." Black lashes fluttered over blue irises from the forceful wind as she glanced up at the lord. He was gone, but the flapping noise was still nearby.

"Why ask now when you have already decided both wolves unacceptable?" His voice much closer than before, Kagome jumped in surprise. Sesshomaru leaned back to better judge her expressions while lazily sitting across the back of Ah-Un.

"That's true, but this is your mate." The miko watched him over her left shoulder; his white and silvery appearance contrasted with the dark blue ocean and green trees bellow.

"Why did you find them unworthy?" Sesshomaru's tone was both casual and flat.

"They were not 'unworthy' Sesshomaru." Kagome reprimanded, "Rika loves another, and Rina plans to stay with her pack."

White lashes rested on pale cheeks as Sesshomaru turned his head skyward, "Then, it is as you say miko."

"My lord is so wise!" piped in the little green servant who had managed to climb to Ah-Un's reigns. With a snicker at the toad's antics, Kagome carefully wrote the judgement placed on the two princesses. Admittedly, a good portion of her joy was from the demon lounging behind her. This moment between them was nice and it made her want to believe that he trusted her.

Raven hair floated in the breeze like silk fabric caught on a branch, her ponytail effectively keeping it out of her face. Her bangs were still shifting in crazy new positions, as she turned to him again. "Ok! So, Miyako is a 'no' because she would rather be a fighter than a mother, right?" There was no reaction, but she took it anyway, "Right!"

She'd always seen him flying ahead as if he was too proud to use Ah-Un, and yet he also had the same "I'll do what I want" personality as Inuyasha. Kagome struggled not to look at the demon lord again and focused on replacing her current work with a textbook. It was a beaten up book from her high school days, but she still studied from it and others.

The miko spent the rest of her day going over the different written forms of the current era. Kagome already planned to send out messages to the accepted ladies and she couldn't have spelling errors.

The night followed a familiar routine of building a fire, cooking ramen, changing into pj's and then curling up in her sleeping bag. Kagome drifted off with her thoughts lingering on the small note she had made for herself about the next two girls. 'Beware the songs.'


	5. Blind Date With Kids

Chapter 5

The next morning, Sesshomaru flew out front again, but they were only in the air for an hour. The destination was an isolated estate built on the beach with long, covered walkways stretching out into the ocean. There were mountains encasing the area as if they were a barrier wrapping around this area of beach. Both sides ended up framed with long, boulder jetties that furthered a bowl-like look.

Landing next to the building, they were greeted by a smiling old woman on the patio.

"Hello there! What beautiful children, you are!"

The wooden sandals shuffled through the sand, as she waddled closer. The greyed hair, old lady stood as tall as Rin used to and wore a diluted maroon kimono. Kagome couldn't guess what demon type this woman was, with only the lack of ears and light blue rings marking her hands and forehead to go off of.

"This is Lord Sesshomaru! My great sire has deemed two ladies of this estate worthy of introduction!" Jakken crowed. Kagome face-palmed at the pompous image now placed on the stoic demon.

"Oh? It has been so long since a lord has visited our humble home." She gleefully chuckled, "To have such a pretty one arrive here too, oh I feel like a young filly again."

A blush appeared on wrinkled cheeks under webbed hands as she cooed at her luck. After a moment to regain her composure, the old lady motioned to the estate, "Please come in children! My granddaughters will be in to greet you as soon as they come back from swimming."

Ah-Un decided to graze at the nearby shrubbery, pulling Jakken along with him. The poor toad could only slide unwillingly across the sand. Sesshomaru and Kagome followed the woman into the building to find a simple tatami mat room with cushions. As they took their seats, the old lady spoke again, "You just wait right here and old granny will fetch some tea."

Kagome thanked the woman when she returned with a tray for them; the smell of green tea wafted through the room. It was a bit too hot for Kagome to drink more than a sip and Sesshomaru didn't even look down to address his cup's existence. Granny suddenly frowned in worry, "I'm sorry dear. Was it too hot? Would your Lordship want something else to drink? Sake, perhaps?"

As graceful as always, Sesshomaru barely moved his head in a fluid motion to deny her offerings. There were sounds of girlish laughter outside the room as Kagome took another tiny sip. The old lady smiled as she looked between the two, "Good! They are almost here. It won't be long now!"

Suddenly, things were wrong. The world felt like it was tipping back and she was falling, but without moving at all. Then, she heard it. The singing was coming from outside but it was echoing inside too. Kagome felt the world spin and started struggling to keep focus. She watched in terror as the old lady's form ripped to shreds by large tentacles. The whole wall behind her opened to allow the mass of ever growing appendages drag its form to the water.

Worried blue eyes turned to Sesshomaru and found his gold eyes turned black from over dilated pupils. She tried to reach out to him, but her body wouldn't respond. The singing had to be what caused this. Looking for the source, Kagome spotted two women standing at the opened wall. They appeared identical but one wore black and the other wore white.

Sesshomaru stood up and started walking toward them.

"Don't go, Sesshomaru." She managed to whisper, but it went ignored. He steadily walked up to both of them before stopping; the miko struggled to grab her bow.

"How delicious is he?" Cooed Hibiki as her darker sister nibbled along her shoulder. Kotone moaned into the closest ear, "Good enough to eat."

Kagome almost lost hope of reaching her arrows when the whole building shook at the wails of the tentacle beast. The fear gave her just enough of a kick to grab it and wobbly stand.

"But Granny! His flesh will keep us pretty for years!" Hibiki whined while caressing magenta stripes with Kotone hanging off his spiked armor.

"And you are already so old!" Finished the other sister.

Thwack! Hibiki fell to the patio floor; she was purified to glittering dust before she even reached it.

"Don't touch him." Kotone shattered into agonizing terror at what was left of her sister. With a single look at the armed miko, her look twisted to rage. Her painted lips ripped to the jaw to reveal needle like teeth before she lunged at Sesshomaru's neck. Thwack!

The ocean around the walkways started to turn and bubble as the second sister dissolved from an arrow to the face. Sesshomaru still stood there dangerously close to the edge, and she prayed to reach him in time. Halfway to the demon lord, Kagome watched as a tentacle captured him and dragged his white figure under turbulent waters.

She gave up walking and quickly crawled to the edge just for the water's surface to explode. The scene grew more frightening as the vision in blue eyes started to blur. A large mass of tentacles wrapped around the walkways, crushing the covers, to lift its huge form from the water. Kagome gasped as the octopus demon revealed her beak while flinging Sesshomaru's limp form from side to side as her tendril moved out of the way of her others.

That was the last thing Kagome could see before her vision went black. She hadn't lost consciousness, but she had gone blind.

"You killed my girls and now I will slowly rip your lord's body apart!" The demon laughed.

Her legs going numb, the miko quickly followed the sounds of splashing and crawled closer. Finding the edge with her hands, Kagome took a deep breath and fell in. She was terrified as she held her breath in the darkness, hoping to be swimming in the right direction.

Then, she bumped against something squishy. The demon was howling and thrashing above the surface over losing the miko. Using her feet and hands, Kagome tried to flatten her suffocating body against the mysterious form; she had to make sure it wasn't a tentacle.

"I found you." An eerily clear voice cackled. The form moved out of her reach as the water unnaturally sucked the girl's body in another direction. Her lungs were burning as she felt the beak close around her. The edge sliced open her arm, letting what little air she had left slip past her clinched teeth.

Kagome took the arrow out of her ponytail, ripping through the hair tie, and releasing her dark locks. It sparked to life with her purification powers and then she shoved it upward into flesh. The miko held on to the wood shaft as she channeled waves and waves of her power into the giant octopus.

Suddenly, her lungs didn't hurt as much. The cold water didn't seem so bad anymore either. There was a comforting warmth from the blood clouding around her floating form.

"Lady Kagome!" a crackly voice wailed. No air. A hit to the chest had Kagome rolling to the side and vomiting. She gasped and choked on the water and whatever else remained. It took a couple more minutes of retching and spitting into the sand before she realized that she had some of her vision back.

Kagome sat up to look around at the shadows moving amongst pitch blackness.

"You stupid human! Look at what a mess you are with drowning and bleeding…" Jakken paused, "Lady Kagome? Why aren't you looking at me?"

There was squawk of alarm from the toad before his voice grew a little distant, "My Lord! My Lord! Come quick, my Lord!"

"Enough, Jakken." His lord spoke.

"But my Lord!" Jakken went silent, but Kagome didn't care. Tears bubbled out of dull blue eyes, washing away some of the sand that covered her face. Her words were as soft as her smile, "I'm glad you're ok."

She felt him lift her to the nearby stairs and started wiping that sand off of her wounds. Kagome would have never dreamt of witnessing Lord Sesshomaru cleaning her wounds for her, and now that it was happening she couldn't even see. Turns out, he wasn't the gentlest demon while scrubbing sand out of the large gash in her arm.

"It needs to be stitched. Instruct this Sesshomaru on the strange medical supplies you carry." His voice was still flat and demanding.

"Once the wound is cleaned of sand, it needs to be disinfected. There is a brown bottle with liquid that you can either pour slowly over the wound or wet a clean cotton ball and dab at it until there are no more bubbles. Do not pour all of it." Kagome tensed, ready for the joys of peroxide. It hissed and stung; Sesshomaru chose to pour it. Then, after a moment of silence, there was an intense pinch to her skin.

"Ow" She hissed and groaned.

With her teeth clenched and eyes sealed shut, the miko heard him ask, "The dressings?" It wasn't really a question, but she answered anyway, "Dab it clean with that liquid again, look for a square of weird fabric, place as many as you need to cover the opening and then wrap the bandages around it." To be honest, the miko didn't care if it was perfect, as long as it didn't get infected.

Once the bandage was securely in place Jakken piped up, "You should feel honored that my Lord lowered himself to patch you up!" Thunk!

"Can you walk, miko?" Kagome doubted it, but with a tone like that she sure as hell was going to try. Her legs had feeling again, but over all, she was drained. The miko took a few unsure steps and found herself bombarded with snorts from a certain two-headed dragon. Ah sniffed at her wound while Un nuzzled her right hand to be petted. She found her way along their side to the saddle, but couldn't manage to pull herself up. Even as Ah-Un lowered their body for her, Kagome struggled. Once they stood back up, her grasp weakened and she started slipping off.

A large hand wrapped around her waist and rested firmly over her stomach. Kagome's head rolled back against soft fur, and the last thing she felt was Ah-Un lifting from the ground.

"To the next lady" she mumbled in her sleep.

The next time Kagome awoke, she was welcomed with colored, blurred shapes. She was in an empty room, resting on a futon. Her clothes had been replaced with a grey sleeping kimono, but according to the square-like red and white blur beside her, she could change. After a year of wearing this outfit, the miko felt confident that she could manage putting it on.

Sliding the door open, raven hair cascaded to the floor as stuck her head out to look. The walls looked blue and felt porous. With a sniff, the miko caught the smell of fish. It took her a moment to realize Sesshomaru must have taken her to the next location, the Palace of Coral.

The information Kagome could remember about this princess: Manami, jellyfish demon, proficient in poisons and toxins. That last part caused the miko's stomach to twist. She was so busy berating herself for being that pathetic in front of Sesshomaru that she may have stumbled past a walking fish. Poor Kagome started imagining how he realized she was so weak or embarrassing and fired her or worse. What if he never spoke to her again?

"Miko" Sesshomaru calmly called out to her as she almost passed the door. She awkwardly felt her way into the room to find a familiar white figure sitting with a dark purple blur. Kagome wanted to believe that the large brown thing with cylindrical, white blurs meant they were discussing business.

"Well, it seems your human is awake." The purple lady spoke, "I look forward to many future business transactions." There were bows shared between them before Sesshomaru stood and started walking out, "Come."

Following who she hoped was the stoic lord, Kagome found herself walking out of a large cave and towards Ah-Un. The poor girl, still blurry eyed, couldn't tell where the horizon was and only saw shades of orange and blue.

It was sunset. A sick feeling seeped into the pit of her stomach, "Sesshomaru…" She paused, "How long was I unconscious for?"

"Lazy girl! Slept away the whole day." Jakken berated. With a deep sigh of relief, Kagome walked to Ah-Un.

"Thank goodness. It was only one day." Regardless of wobbly legs, the priestess climbed on and suggested, "Shall we visit our families, Sesshomaru?" The two-headed dragon stomped in excitement before following their master skyward.

"Lady Kagome?" The small imp started while sitting behind her.

"Yes, Jakken?" The miko tried to turn and face him but with her hair down it was proving pointless. The wind caused a curtain effect, which covered any features of the servant she could recognize.

What little peaks of green she could see, asked, "Have your weak eyes healed yet?"

"Almost!"

Kagome smiled, but it wilted a little because, currently, she couldn't see Sesshomaru even though he was only a few feet away. The bold colors of sunset reflected on his white haori just like all of the other clouds.

When they arrived that night the devious miko had Jakken sneak her to Kaede's hut. She quietly knocked in a rhythm that was sure to be recognized. Within seconds, two heads peaked out from behind the door. Kagome held a finger to her lips to signal for them to enter sneak mode.

As excited as they were to see Kagome and Jakken, Shippo and Rin were just as excited make a game of sneaking. She played it off well, but the blind miko stuck close to Jakken as he discretely led her back to her own hut. In the dark, her blurred vision was practically nonexistent.

Shippo somersaulted through her doorway, while Rin slid in keeping her back against the wall. Before Kagome entered, she paused, "Come in, Sesshomaru. Rin missed you." His gentle hum of acceptance reached her ears as his white fabrics came into view for a moment and then were gone as he entered the hut. The miko's heart pounded loudly in her chest and she couldn't tell if it was surprise at his sudden appearance or something else.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Rin is most pleased to see you." The young girl announced as Kagome entered her home away from home. Said lord had decided to lean against a side wall, allowing the budding girl to hold his mokomoko.

"Not as pleased as I am to see Kagome!" The kit challenged. Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms. The girl gave him the most incredulous look as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Didn't you want to see me, Rin?" Jakken stood beside the fox and miko with a quivering lip. Yellow eyes glistened as he watched Rin slowly turn to face him.

"Why would Rin want that?" The little pig tail dangled as the girl tilted her head. The room went quiet for a moment, before Shippo's snickering broke the silent shock.

"Rin is teasing you and is happy to see you as well!" She giggled.

The toad hid his face in a brown sleeve as he teared up, "The world is so cruel to such a humble servant." The young kit leaned down to pat the poor imp on the head, he could relate to being teased by the girl.

After a few moments and a few stories, the kids were fast asleep against their adult counterparts. Rin slept cuddling the white furred mokomoko to her chest while Sesshomaru simply rested against the wall. Jakken was sprawled on the wood floor near the fire, the two-headed staff still firmly grasped in his little hands. The fox kit slept with Kagome on a futon, his small form tucked perfectly against her side. Blue eyes stared at the ceiling wishing and believing that she could make out more details than before, but they eventually slipped close with sleep.

With a shift in the air and the first chirping birds, Kagome awoke. The fire had died down to embers, leaving only soft beams of pre-dawn light to slip around her door. Her adopted son lay snoring along the edge of the futon; his cute paws were hidden under the comforter. Sitting up, the miko quietly dug her medical kit out of the deep clutches of her over-used, yellow backpack.

She was still severely nearsighted with everything past five feet as horribly blurred as before. It was good enough to lift her spirits and allow her to check the stitches. There was a faint blush highlighting her pale cheeks while the contrasting black braid rested over her right shoulder. He had stitched this for her and now she could see the neat, small thread lines. They were perfect.

Not wanting to disturb Shippo, the trained miko chose to forgo more peroxide for now and just apply Neosporin before bandaging. She was lucky that it was the left arm and not her dominant hand, but a wound like this would affect her archery for a while. Even with perfect stitching, there were gaping shallow rips branching away from the worst wound that needed tending. If it healed right, Kagome knew that she would have a pale band almost completely around the appendage; her inner arm spared from damage. Since none of it spread past her shoulder or elbow, the miko knew that very few would ever see it under the white uniform.

Years of bathing while in the same group as Miroku had the young woman trained to feel eyes watching her. It startled Kagome to not be able to just look around, however outwardly she calmly slid her arm back into the long sleeve. Feeling the fabric drag along the top of her bandages hurt enough to cause a soft scowl, but it became bearable again as she pulled the kimono over her exposed bra.

Stirring the fire back to life, Kagome pulled out her records. Hibiki and Kotone were a 'no' due to being deceased. Soft hands paused over the name Manami; she wasn't able to assess her. Looking over to a vague white figure, Kagome whispered, "Manami?"

It felt like forever before a masculine voice softly returned, "Incapable of reproduction." Dark eyebrows shot up at the response, but the young woman finished her report. Manami was a 'no' due to failure to provide an heir.

While packing the scrolls away, a sleepy voice caught her attention. "Momma?" Shippo rubbed at his eyes just in case she was only a mirage of sleep.

"Are you ready?" The miko asked, tying her hair up into a high ponytail with a new hairband. Clawed hands smacked at round cheeks, and Shippo was up and ready to go. They began their morning together running around the village in a large winding loop. Followed by an hour of vigorous exercising, Kagome excused on some of the arm related ones due to her injury. She used to feel bad about making the kit match her speed and length through all of the training, but they both knew that it was making him grow as a demon.

Physically, the kit had sprouted a foot taller within this last year and lost some of his baby fat. She would almost say that his tail had grown longer, but it was hard to tell in respect to his height change. If he looked seven when she first met him, then the miko would put him about nine now. The idea that they were only a few months a part in age went completely ignored.

After finishing their exercises, the pair practiced the use of spears by catching fish. Shippo's was barely over a foot in length, but it was just as sharp as Kagome's. They threw their catches into a basket and then spent a little time to rinse away their sweat. As a tired Kagome and Shippo returned with their spoils, Rin met them half way to the hut with her own. The twelve year old knew the training routine of her fox friend and decided to get a bag of rice to go with breakfast.

Kagome knew the pink blur approaching them was Rin, because nobody else in the village could afford such lovely colors. It was a little odd seeing the girl go through puberty though. The brown eyed girl stood to her shoulder now with wavy black hair down to her waist. In fact, it looked identical to Kagome's, but with how often the miko tied it up, it was hard to tell. The girl had also started to grow in the chest, but only enough to add a slight curvature under kimono fabric. Rin really was becoming the village's princess.

As the colorful form came into focus, it became clear that Jakken followed suit. They all filed into the hut as the sounds of the bustling village grew behind them. Sesshomaru had stayed against the wall, his position not changing an inch as they gathered around the pit. Using a modern frying pan that she kept in her hut, Kagome cooked breakfast.

"Lady Kagome, will there be class today?" Rin asked between bites of her fish. Jakken chewed on a fish tail as he eyed the miko suspiciously.

"Of course, Rin" She replied without a second thought. Kagome went on missions which took her away for days at a time before this, so it was silly of the little girl to think otherwise. However, a glance from Rin to Sesshomaru melted her resolve, "We are doing a review on plants today along with some reading and writing. You can finish early as soon as you hit the bullseye three times."

The young girl stared as she considered the terms; Rin knew she could hit it once for sure. Making up her mind, chocolate eyes sparkled in determination, "Yes, Lady Kagome!" Jakken looked from person to person for some type of insight as to what they were talking about.

The lost toad knew Kagome was just weird, but he almost couldn't fathom Rin being privileged enough to be literate and lethal. It was already uncommon for humans to be literate below the elite, but Jakken could accept that due to her being the ward of the great Lord Sesshomaru. It only really bothered him that sweet, little Rin was learning to defend herself because she might not need him to protect her anymore. As he worked through this process, most of it came out in a mumbling monologue.

After cleaning the dishes together, the trio walked through the village to the garden near Kaede's hut. The children were then quizzed on the name, preparation, and usage of the different herbs. The old woman hobbled to take her usual seat at a nearby wooden bench so she could sip her tea as Kagome taught the kids. By the time she reached the end of her first cup, the group decided to shuffle over to the hut Kagome had refurbished to help promote education. Kaede simply went inside to fill her cup again and then returned to join them in the little building.

The regular, square fire pit had been refilled with dark dirt allowing the kids to practice writing with long sticks. Their lesson today covered writing in small past tense sentences. By the end of the lesson, both children had mastered writing, "We defeated Naraku." Although, Shippo and Rin together came up with, "Lord Sesshomaru looked pretty with flowers, but Inuyasha didn't." The miko could only laugh with them as they cheered in victory over their correct grammar.

Kaede woke with a start, having nodded off during the lesson. She left the group as they started weapons practice. Rin was set up with archery training and today's goal had been set. She needed three arrows to hit the mark before she could be with her lord. Shippo, on the other hand, was being trained to utilize the skills he already had.

The kit and Kagome were playing a game of keep away. The idea was that Shippo only had to get thirty seeds into a small teapot. The catch being that Kagome was running around with said teapot and he could only throw the seed into it. This game utilized his strategy making skills, shadow clones, and throwing skills. This miko wanted to make sure her demon son could defend himself while she was away.

Kagome and Shippo spent most of their day doing things like this, regardless of her handicap. They played hand games like patty-cake, but Kagome's hands were glowing with holy power and he had to defend with his foxfire. Foxfire could switch from being destructive to defensive according to the desire of the user. There was also hide-and-go-seek, where Shippo had to transform into someone or something. When she found him with her spiritual sensitivity, he had to be able to distract her to escape and transform into something else. These games were designed to train both demonic and holy powers while still having fun together.

As they returned from bathing, Rin called out to them from Sango's hut. Before Kagome could leave again on the rest of their journey, the brown haired mother demanded that they joined her family for dinner. Little Shako slept peacefully against Sango's back as she poured the beef stew into bowls. The twins, Yua and Airi, were both leaning on Miroku as they stole from his bowl. Little did they know, he was reaching around to take from their bowls, too.

"So, how is traveling with Lord Sesshomaru?" Miroku eventually asked.

"Ok, so, he's really quiet, but Ah-Un is quite fun to ride. Right, Rin?" Kagome looked to the girl sipping at what was left of the stew in her bowl.

"Yup!"

They laughed over shared stories for the next two hours; Rin had returned to Sesshomaru as soon as she could. Shippo had a few interesting stories to add about his epic adventures babysitting the twins. Such as the time that he transformed into a third identical little girl and made the twins doubt that they weren't him in disguise. Sango had spent the rest of the night trying to convince the girls which name was theirs while Shippo got diaper duty for a week. Then, later, Shippo slipped ink into Miroku's tea. The married couple, Rin, Shippo and Kaede laughed at the temporary black teeth, but poor Yua and Airi kept screaming, "Why is daddy dying? Don't die daddy!" Sango chuckled before giving Kagome a knowing look, "Shippo has become especially skilled in cleaning a baby's rags."

As the day together drew to an end, the miko found herself sleeping peaceful between Shippo and Rin. Jakken was on his side, with his back to the warm fire and a ring of flowers around his neck.

At some point Sesshomaru had decided that he had spent enough time in the human village and sought a night of rest under the Goshinboku's mighty branches. The cold lord casually ran clawed fingers through silver locks to purge them of braids and blossoms. Even from this distance, he could guard over the humans he cherished most.


	6. Butterfly Kisses for a Lady

Hi! Just wanted to put a little warning about my upcoming chapters. A character will soon be introduced and he is a kidnapper and a rapist. If you have any problems with these topics please go ahead, read this chapter, and then skip to chapter 9 when it comes out. I assure you that there will be no rape scenes but a light attempt. Thank you and enjoy! ~Catclass

Chapter 6

At the dawn of the eighth day, the dark haired priestess slipped from the grasp of two sleeping children. Kagome held her hair back as she kissed Rin and Shippo on the forehead, not wanting to disturb their slumber. She could sense the demon lord and his servant waiting for her outside.

Leaving the hut, Kagome paused as the distant world came into focus. She could see everything with perfect clarity. A bright smile lit up her features as she enjoyed the freedom from the poison. Plus, her upper arm had scabbed over nicely although it still looked blue and purple.

With a glance back at the sleeping children, the miko shouldered her bag and quiver of arrows. Sango, Miroku and Kaede waved from outside their huts as she took to the skies on the back of Ah-Un. They were headed south to meet a butterfly demoness named Chouko.

By midday, the group spotted a glistening roof towering over the tree line. Even at a distance, Kagome could see that the roof had gold leafing intricately adorning a majority of the structure. It was no surprise to see the tall tower had just as much detail along the walls and doors. The unexpected came in the form of four young boys waiting outside the entrance to greet them.

Two of the lads were demons, but the others were a human and a half-demon. They were immaculate in pastels and matching shoulder length bobs, but their heights barely reached her shoulder. Sesshomaru towered over them as they bowed and welcomed them into the tower.

"Welcome, my lord. Lady Chouko awaits your presence." They spoke in rehearsed union. The four boys then turned to lead them into the tower. "This way, my lord."

Jakken and Kagome shared a look of concern as Sesshomaru gracefully strode after them. The toad took his usual duty of protecting Ah-Un and Kagome's yellow backpack, while the miko jogged to catch up with the speedy group. She almost lost sight of him as black boots disappeared up a flight of stairs.

There was a sigh of relief when she finally caught up, but the cold lord never acknowledged her. Together, they climbed up layer after layer of staircases; the young boys were completely unaffected. And, after the fifth floor, Kagome was pretty sure she was the only one feeling the burning in her thighs.

The final staircase led them down an open walkway around the outside of the room. Although the lightly colored screens adorned beautiful paintings, the normally wooden settings had been replaced with metal inlaid with strips of jade. A sweet fragrance of blossoms engulfed her as a gust of wind swirled its way through the walkway.

Two boys slid open opposing screen doors and allowed the pair to enter the top floor. "Lady Chouko, Lord Sesshomaru has arrived." They announced before taking kneeled positions on either side of the entrance. Their eyes closed at the completed duty from their mistress; the small bodies became as still as gargoyles. The miko glanced at the forms of Ah-Un and Jakken on the ground below.

Blue eyes widened as butterflies floated into her field of vision; the colorful wings fluttered about the walkway. The miko turned back to the room and saw a beautiful garden. There was a jade path amongst healthy grass and colorful blooms. Pink cherry trees had their long branches weaving across the ceiling as blue and yellow butterflies flew around the millions of blossoms. At the end of the path, large purple wings softly flapped in contentment.

The beautiful female lounged across a mountain of pillows and petals with long, decorative sleeves. The demoness, Chouko, had two red dots in the place of her brows that matched her full, red lips. Lavender irises lazily slid over her beautiful guest and sparkled in appreciation. A cloud of butterflies burst to life as the demoness slowly lifted into a sitting position.

In a very serene voice, the woman began, "Lord Sesshomaru has finally come to Chouko, but what is it that the lord would seek?" The slender, white neck came into view as she tilted her head in question. Kagome knew instantly that this was a natural seductress as she felt herself growing warm with unwanted temptation.

"This Sesshomaru has come to judge your worth for the position at his side." The bored demon flatly replied. Those large, stain glass wings flittered as the erotic demoness leaned forward. Her ruby lips parted in a coy smile at his self-worth, "Does the lord think he can judge Chouko?"

"Would you judge yourself worthy?" Kagome interrupted. This time, both pairs of eyes turned to the blunt young woman. "Well, would you?"

Chouko leaned back as she considered the miko, her head rested in a white hand with long, decorated nails. The demoness released a small sigh, "Chouko is worthy." She did not look proud or pleased by her words, so Kagome grew curious.

"Why do you think yourself worthy?" The miko asked in a light tone as so not to insult the butterfly lady.

"Chouko is fertile, untouched, and beautiful. Everyone loves Chouko." She finally slid from her cushions onto long, slender legs. There was no sound as she tip-toed to the tall lord and peered into his eyes. "Everyone loves Chouko too much. The child of Chouko would be the same, so could Lord Sesshomaru off all of those who would love us?"

Kagome shifted uneasily as the increasing arousal and pity clashed within her body. She watched as the other woman ran her hand over the air above Sesshomaru's magenta striped cheek. The cold lord didn't seem to mind.

"I could."

Blue eyes drastically widened as his clawed hand slipped over the white neck and into black tresses. She couldn't move. Kagome wanted to look away; she wanted to run. A small ruby smile appeared as the proud demon lord started to lean down. It was like watching Inuyasha and Kikyo all over again, and the poor girl panicked with flashes from the past. There was no air to breath. She couldn't look away as their lips moved closer together. Kikyo's words about dragging Inuyasha to Hell with her echoed through her mind. It was the same.

"STOP!" Kagome latched her arms around the lowered shoulders of the demon lord. Chouko slammed to the floor from being rejected by the miko's holy barrier. With the silver head tucked beneath her chin, the young woman glared over her shoulder at the surprised hostess sprawled on the jade floor.

"You… Do you want him to kill people?" She wheezed. Kagome had not escaped the infectious love for Chouko, so her tears poured in heartbreak.

An ugly snarl marred the beautiful face as the demoness hissed, "It's because of those people that Chouko is trapped here. If they all died then Chouko could be free." Lavender eyes turned red as a wicked smile stretched across her face. "Yes! If you love me then you'll free Chouko. Kill them all and free Chouko!"

The miko closed her eyes and sobbed into Sesshomaru's hair. She didn't want to hear anymore; it hurt too much. Then, a large hand wrapped around her waist, causing Kagome to hiccup in surprise.

"Free Chouk-…" The mad demoness screeched until her head rolled to the floor. Sesshomaru stood to his full glory, leaving the miko's small hands to fall to his chest. The lord's right hand glowed from the poison whip until the remains dissolved into thousands of butterflies.

"Miko, look." The demon softly commanded. Kagome opened her eyes in time to watch as the swirling cloud of purple wings excitedly flew past them and out the open doors. One last tear fell for Chouko. They gazed out at the hundreds of purple butterflies scattering in different directions as they fluttered away under the afternoon sun.

In contrast of such a moving moment, the very generous demon lord decided that he would just jump down while he still had a hold on her. Kagome screamed at the sudden trip and fell to her butt when he released her. Perhaps next time Lord Sesshomaru would not do things that led to the damage of his enhanced demon hearing and an exchange of heated glares.

Jakken couldn't help but run over and retort, "Oh, my lord is the image of grace." His green head turned to the girl with swollen, bloodshot eyes as she gawked at him from the dirt. With a pointed look of disappointment from the toad, Kagome shot up after him.

"Get back here you stupid toad!" The miko screamed as Jakken squawked in alarm. The young woman near caught him before he ducked around Ah-Un.

"My lord!" The servant shouted, "The miko has gone mad!" Said lord lightly sighed as raven hair ducked around the beast's rump to attack her prey.

"I'll show you mad!" The miko yelled before effectively pouncing and locking the small toad in an inescapable embrace. Poor Jakken dramatically called out, "Help me, my lord!" as Kagome carried him away.

That night, they set up camp a couple hours away from the next destination. Warm fire illuminated a peaceful demon lord, a sleepy miko, and a humiliated imp. His punishment had been pure, agonizing, drawn out torture.

"Aw, pretty little girls aren't so pretty if they frown all the time." Kagome cooed as she munched away at her dinner. Yellow eyes twitched as the frown grew in comical proportion.

Jakken or "Jaki-poo" had thick, gaudy eyeshadow smudging over his eyelids and onto his forehead. Thick, black eyebrows were painted to arch above them as pink circles of blush sat bellow. His proud, pointed, beak of a mouth had been graced with large, red lips. While Kagome wouldn't have felt right to strip him of his clothes, she did finish the look with her winter scarf as an obi. The horrifying imp grumbled as the giant bow joyously peaked around his small form.

Sweet revenge ran its course when the pacified woman took Jakken to a nearby stream. Kagome soaked her feet to rid them of any odors while holding a makeshift torch for the toad. Little hands scrubbed without thought or reason and turned the green face into a Valentine's Day disaster. Kagome had to step in and help him.

The clean servant returned to camp with the scarf-obi still in place. It wasn't that he couldn't undo the obi; Jakken simply hadn't tried to remove it. Even golden eyes watched in mild amusement as the toad tucked his body underneath the oversized bow and drifted to sleep.

The owner of blue eyes, however, tossed and turned for hours. Her arm was healing better than most would in this era, but it still hurt. There was also an unnatural sadness that plagued her from being heartbroken by Chouko. It made no sense, but Kagome loved her in moments just as Chouko said. Even Sesshomaru couldn't escape that curse of passion.

A pang of pain struck through her chest causing the miko to lightly gasp for air. This was different than the dull ache for the unfortunate butterfly demon. Without meaning to, Kagome let her eyes drift to the resting lord. He had said, "I could" when under the romantic suggestion and it was bothering her so much more than it should. For the proud lord to drop his third person speech pattern made Sesshomaru's vow private, romantic, and personal. Kagome blinked away tears as she remembered how it felt like she had stumbled across an intimate scene to be shared by a pair of lovers. The miko fell into restless sleep as she berated herself on using Sesshomaru to replace Inuyasha in her lonely heart.

"Miko" His deep voice echoed through the darkness before Kagome awoke to a sunny morning sky. She felt like crap.

Sesshomaru stood next to Ah-Un with an impatient message hidden in his flat look, so the grumbling miko hurried to pack. Jakken had neatly folded the blue scarf and returned it to her bag. Raven hair remained free as the half-conscious girl mounted the cheerful two-headed dragon. She was already dozing when they reached traveling altitude. Concerned about his ally falling off the steed, the stoic lord frequently glanced back at her slumbering form.

The short trip passed in the blink of an eye for Kagome, who got jostled awake in their landing. In a moment of panic, the miko recklessly tore through bag to find her reports. She was still rubbing her eye as she read about this contender. The scroll reminded her that this was the home of a raccoon demoness named Satomi. It had been her general father that had suggested her to Sesshomaru's people.

Although the manor was quite large and had many open walkways between buildings, it was the most simplistic layout they had come across so far. The colors and screens were basic and neutral. The miko vaguely thought that it lacked a woman's touch, before moving to stand beside Sesshomaru.

Two average looking, middle aged women stepped out on to the patio and bowed. "Welcome to Tanuki Estate." They flatly greeted. It took a moment to notice the pointed ears and short tail that hinted at their raccoon dog heritage. The older woman stepped forward before continuing, "General Takahashi sends his regards that he could not be here to personally introduce his only daughter to you, my lord, but please follow me to your guest rooms. My master welcomes you to stay here for any length of time that you should see fit."

This place felt like the exact opposite of the butterfly tower and it was driving Kagome insane. There weren't even flowers or manicured trees in between the plain and boring buildings, just unturned dirt. She almost wanted to let Sesshomaru meet the girl and return to Jakken and Ah-Un. The miko sighed in defeat while mulling over the dangerous talents of the last few girls. She couldn't risk leaving him, but this bleak, helpless, lonely feeling made her weariness bone deep.

"Here is your room, my lord." The older servant said before turning to the solemn girl. "I shall show you to the servant quarters, human."

Kagome's drooping head shot up, indignation sparking life into her pale features. "Excuse me?" She demanded.

The demoness looked unamused and quite serious as she retorted, "You are either a servant or a mistress, human. The general would be most displeased if your form of entertainment distracted from the lord's assessment of our lady."

Before Kagome could explode at this woman, a masculine voice interrupted, "She stays." Both females turned to stare at the relaxed demon lord before the raccoon bowed, "As you wish, my lord." She gave Kagome one more disapproving look as she scurried away.

The miko turned on the sitting white form, steam still coming from her ears, "Why didn't you tell her that I wasn't a slut? She thinks I'm a whore, Sesshomaru!"

"Are you a whore?" He didn't bother opening his eyes as the girl glared down at him.

"No, of course not." With such an unexpected question, her knuckles regained some color as she released the grip on her bag.

White lashes slowly slid open and demon eyes captured her full attention on the next spoken words, "This Sesshomaru knows and that is enough."

Kagome unceremoniously crumbled into a mound of miko while the lord closed his eyes again. Her stubborn smile crept back as she accepted his truth. This was Kagome Higurashi, Shikon Miko and defeater of the great menace Naraku. Right now she had a job to do as Sesshomaru's Matchmaker and she planned to do it right.

"Okay!" The miko huffed in determination. She spent the next hour reading her notes on the final girls and planning further elimination methods, should they be needed. So far, only Haruka, the fox demon, seemed to have passed. There were twelve more women to meet before she was free.

Kagome glanced up at the silver hair and magenta stripes, wondering if he had always been so beautiful. And, that was why she had to hurry and escape. Sesshomaru wanted everything in a mate that she could not give him, so certain "L" words couldn't even be lightly considered in her thoughts. The miko wore a smile as she continued her work.

"Excuse me, Lord Sesshomaru?" The same servant called from the other side of the door before entering. "The Lady Satomi is ready to meet with you."

Kagome avoided looking directly at him as they both started after the raccoon demoness. She led her guest and his human down the empty hallways and across planked walkways. When they arrived at the main room, just as bleak as the others, they found Satomi. She sat in the middle of the empty room with perfect posture and poise.

"Your human can wait out here; it might contaminate my lady with wrongful ideas." The older woman sneered. Sesshomaru ignored her and presented himself to the hostess. Kagome, on the other hand, had had enough.

"Would you stop acting like I belong to him like some pet?" The steamed miko began, "We are here on official business, so unless you want us to take our business elsewhere I would put a stop to this horribly rude behavior." The servant gawked before scurrying away.

"That was amazing!" A light, feminine voice chimed in a fit of laughter. Satomi sat in a formal kimono that was nothing but shades of pink. Her brown hair had been painfully pulled pack in an ornate bun on top of her head. The ornaments decorating her hair dangled down to shoulders and jingled as she laughed.

As the miko kneeled beside Sesshomaru, the nice looking raccoon demoness commended, "My father would disapprove, but I'm glad someone stood up to her."

"Why would your father disapprove?" Kagome questioned out loud.

"Oh! Please pardon my manners." Brown eyes widened before disappearing under bangs as the demoness bowed towards the miko. "I am Satomi, daughter of General Takahashi. My father believes that such aggressive actions would be unladylike."

"Hello, I'm Kagome." After a moment, she uneasily asked, "Why are there no extra furnishings or decorations around the estate? My records show your family is exceedingly wealthy, but you seem to be the only thing covered in color besides brown and grey." One of the major conditions that the demonesses had to pass was lack of familial debt.

Again, their hostess laughed behind an ornate maroon sleeve. "That's a silly question Lady Kagome." Her brown eyes were still warm with amusement as she explained, "I have everything that I need, and father promised that every coin not spent on me can go to my future husband and sons. A woman lives for her children after all."

She knew that she was not going to like the answer, but the miko had to ask anyway, "Would any of the money go to your child if it turned out to be a girl?" It was slightly horrifying to see the decorated hostess blink in confusion. "Of course not, it is up to her father to supply a comfortable wellbeing and dowry. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru has many suitors waiting for him to have a daughter; her husband and sons would be very well off."

"Alright, thank you for your time." Kagome politely bowed before standing. "Have a nice day Lady Satomi."

The raccoon demoness smiled daintily before bowing in return, "And you, Lady Kagome." The bored demon followed the dark haired girl out.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Satomi quietly called out, causing him to pause. His back was still to her, but his attention was had. "What kind of woman would you want as the Lady of the West?"

Ember eyes purposefully turned to meet brown ones before shifting to gaze at the back of a certain miko. A small smirk pulled at his lips, "One who does as she pleases."


	7. Burning Passion

Life has been very distracting but I'm still working on the story. I promise. Also, one of my characters is made with love of Skyrim. Thank you for reading! ~Catclass

Chapter 7

Into the warmer skies of Japan's southern islands, Sesshomaru led the group to their next destination. Kagome's raven hair had been tied up into a messy bun to hide the un-brushed knots from her last trip on Ah-Un. Jakken sat with her as they lightly discussed some of the things that had happened while he guarded their steed. Moments like this made the long trips bearable.

On top of a hill, sat a white palace surrounded by black earth. It took a moment to register why the ground would look that way, but Kagome eventually remembered. The daughter of a phoenix general lived here by the name of Hina. She vaguely wondered what the girl would look like in comparison to the ones she had seen before with Inuyasha. Japan's phoenixes were more like bird demons with fire element powers, so they weren't that uncommon.

Whatever Kagome might have guessed for the girl's appearance, crashed into a pile of ashes as a tall form came out of the palace. So far, many of the demonesses had been girls that barely looked the same age as Kagome if not younger. This woman proudly swept from her patio and towards the landing party.

"Welcome!" The strawberry blonde woman greeted, "Please call me Hina. I've been anticipating your arrival for days now." She stood just barely below Sesshomaru's height, with large golden wings framing her curvaceous figure and gracefully trailing behind. Tanned skin and a plethora of orange feathers adorning her shoulders framed deep, red eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please follow Tanaka to the meeting room. He shall see to it you get any food or beverage you desire. As for you," The fire demon turned her attention to the surprised miko, "What did you do to your beautiful hair?"

Before Kagome could blink, Hina was already in front of her muttering little "oh no" and "what is this". The shorter human meekly explained, "The wind got to it."

The demoness tutted, "Won't you come with me to fix this, dear?" She had already hooked the miko around the arm and ushered her inside before Kagome could respond.

"We'll just be a moment, my lord." Hina called over her shoulder before disappearing around a corner.

Just as she promised, the demoness returned Kagome with a clean and proper ponytail. Sesshomaru sat on a cushion with the tea and tray of food before him untouched. Colorful feathers tickled the miko's pale cheek as Hina leaned in to playfully whisper, "I don't think he liked the tea. What say you?"

Kagome whispered back, "Don't take it personally. I can't remember the last time I saw him eat or drink."

Painted lips parted for a light, "oh" as they continued their way into the room. Once everyone settled into their appropriate positions, Hina spoke up, "Well, a little birdy tells me you are looking for a mate, Lord Sesshomaru. Might you be here with interest in my hand?"

A curt nod was enough to send a warm smile spreading across the fire bird's cheeks. "Then, perhaps there are questions you need me to answer or should I talk about myself?"

"Would you be able and willing to provide an heir to rule the western lands?" The stubborn lord asked. Kagome looked at him in shock; he usually spoke so little. Hina, on the other hand, simply smiled, "I would."

"Would you be willing and able to fight to protect said land and heir?" His tone was as flat as usual.

"I would." There was a moment of pause before the hostess added, "My father and I have fought many battles together, my lord."

With a subtle hum, Sesshomaru bowed and stood to leave. Kagome stumbled after the lord while offering her good byes. She was under the impression that they were staying here for the night, but apparently he was not.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" The raven haired girl yelled as she ran across the path between blackened dirt. "Why are we leaving?" But, instead of answering her, the demon lord just gave her a look. Wanting to believe that that look meant "you already know the answer", Kagome thought about the next stop. They were supposed to go to the Southern Palace in the morning.

"Oh" There was a chance the cryptic lord referred to the number of ladies that awaited them. Lord Alduin had sent word of his four daughters and younger sister. They were expected to stay as the lord's guests for a couple of days so that Sesshomaru had time to personally meet each one. But, there was also a chance that he just found her annoying.

Haasshuk! Un sneezed as Ah jerked up in surprise. Jakken searched for more wood to add to the campfire while Sesshomaru lounged against a trunk. They hadn't traveled long and made camp a mile from the palace's private island.

Even in the dark, Kagome had her scrolls out to be updated. Chouko was a 'no' because of her butterfly transformation, but she wasn't sure about Satomi or Hina. Personally, Satomi was out as well, but the cold lord might have liked her sweet personality. She kept her blue eyes on the paper as she asked, "Satomi?"

"No." He stated.

"Why?" Kagome wearily questioned for records sake. Only his lips moved as he uttered, "She would never be this Sesshomaru's equal." A sigh relieved the great pressure in the miko's chest at his words. There were several ways to interpret the lord, but Kagome took it as she wanted.

"What about Hina? We left quickly, but did you decide?" The miko thought fondly of the fire demoness and was pretty sure what he'd say.

"Yes." Sesshomaru confirmed. She privately celebrated for guessing right until it had to be her hand that wrote it. It had been the slightest hesitation, but Kagome knew. She felt that old ache in her chest and frowned. Packing back up, she got ready for bed. By the time Jakken returned with a sizeable amount of wood the young woman was drifting to sleep. Her back was turned to the fire and demon lord.

With the approaching dawn, birds sung cheerfully in the surrounding trees. It was the tenth day of travel and the first spent at the majestic Southern Palace. Kagome held her large, yellow backpack as one servant guided Ah-Un to the stables and another ushered them to the throne room. She was surprised to see western architecture in this era, and even more of a surprise when she saw the lord and his daughters.

Older, red eyes looked down upon his guests before greeting, "Sesshomaru." To which, the western lord responded, "Alduin." A soft smirk stretched across the dragon lord's lips, his hand motioned the girls forward.

"My daughters are daughters of the world: Terra is from the land of Bathala, Gael is from the land of Zeus, Pyro is from the land of Odin, and Oceana is from the land of Brahma." Alduin proudly stated. "Each of their mothers had the privilege to birth my children, so that they might one day be presented to one such as you."

She doubted Sesshomaru had the slightest idea about what the dragon's descriptions meant. They all shared a majority of Japanese features, but as he had said, each was different. In all honesty, Kagome only recognized two of the deities mentioned, but was pretty sure she knew where those outfits were from. You can't blame a modern Tokyo girl for knowing some classic fashion.

Now, by "classic", the miko took in the sight of a short, white toga draped over the curvy, tanned woman. Her wavy, blonde hair matched the gold bands adorning her arms, legs, horns and waist. Olive green eyes twinkled in mischief as they made brief eye contact. Gael looked like she could be Aphrodite. Then, there was the other pale skinned girl. Her light blue eyes stayed leveled to the floor, causing Kagome's to return to a sprinkle of freckles along her cheeks. Curly, orange hair had been stuffed into two braids that hung well past her waist. Kagome would have put her dress at a basic renaissances fair with its simple, red design and floor length. She would have guessed Italy or England, but the mention of Odin put her straight. The meek, awkward dragoness named Pyro looked like she would run away at any sudden noise.

Another "classic" that Kagome recognized, was a beautiful turquoise sari. However, this daughter stood out from the others with her blue tinted skin and extra pair of arms. Her green, curved horns and matching eyes contrasted to the ornately knotted, black hair. Oceana nodded a quiet greeting upon seeing the miko. And then, there was Terra. Kagome could not recognize the deity or the outfit. Her black hair fell around soft brown shoulders that were covered in intricate patterned tattoos. A watery blue skirt hung low on her shapely hips with its matching top barely holding supple breasts. Her decorated and visible stomach would surprise any normal citizen of this era, but it still left the miko without any clue. Regardless of skin color, the red eyes and black hair definitely made her look more like Lord Alduin than any of the other daughters.

"I believe you have a lady to introduce yourself, don't you Sesshomaru?" Both blue and gold shot up to the smiling dragon. Kagome glanced to the hesitating demon lord, surprised to see a frown marring his pale skin. His words came out sharp and final, "She is the miko, Kagome."

"My first wife was from this island, but it has been far too long since I have tasted its beauty." Alduin sighed in nostalgia while gaining Kagome's full attention. His four daughters took their cue to leave and returned to their daily activities elsewhere.

"Do not insult this land by tasting something so common." Sesshomaru sneered towards the innocent girl standing beside him.

"A common dish to be sure, but my tongue detects an array of ingredients that would compel me to eat it again and again." Lightly wrinkled eyes squinted with his large, intimidating smile. "Show our guests to their room." Alduin's face relaxed but he still exuded victory.

The pair was quiet until the servant left them in the shared chamber. Kagome started by slowly turning to face Sesshomaru; her voice was unusually higher pitched, "What?" She took a stuttered breath, "Was I the dish?" When he didn't respond she grew even more panicked, "Sesshomaru, I wasn't the dish, was I?" Gold eyes stared down at her with trained lack of expression, but she knew, "Oh my god! I was the dish."

The stoic lord quietly watched as she moved to sit down on the bed. Kagome was gasping as she translated the previous conversation. "I don't want to sleep with him! No way!" She squeaked. In an instant Kagome was back on her feet and with a finger against Sesshomaru's chest.

"And you! You called me common!" She poked him a couple times as she continued, "I will have you know sir that I may be the only human in this era that knows about proper hair care and hygiene." A clawed hand hooked a lock of ebony strands before letting it slide over slender fingers. There was a flicker of amusement as Sesshomaru hummed.

Those feelings that haunted Kagome came to a surprising new level as chills shivered down her spine. The warmth from standing so close to the lord started reviving the butterflies in her stomach. It felt as if spring had come to wake them from a year's hibernation. Kagome touched her blushing cheek as she realized that she was in love with Sesshomaru.

When the girl chanced looking back at his golden eyes, she found the smooth face much closer than before. His eyes were definitely amused now as a visible smirk pulled at his lips. Again, he hummed in acceptance before pulling away, but the miko was left frozen in place. Was he ok with a human reacting as she had or did he find her blushing funny? The cryptic lord went about his usual lounging while Kagome tried to figure out what just happened.

Nobody could say that the young woman gave into her feelings and allowed them to get in the way of her job. Kagome had struggled through all of that in the years of her Inuyasha infatuation. The best distraction, she decided, was rigorous study.

A steady knock on the door had both guests look up in surprise. It had been some time in their private room, though Kagome still wondered why she kept having to share a room with a grown man. Sesshomaru remained quiet as the interrupter of peace continued knocking; it had to be the miko to go open it.

It was a Chinese woman with floating fabrics and long decorative nails. Everything about her told Kagome that this was a holy goddess, but something was wrong. Her sad eyes hinted at a horrible truth, and those small hands fell protectively over her pudgy stomach. She was pregnant, although she barely showed. A red jewel glowed ominously from an ornate necklace around her neck.

"Lord Alduin requests the presence of Lord Sesshomaru in the main office." Painted lips spoke perfect Japanese. Said, demon lord stood and followed her down the hall. Kagome watched as the beautiful woman walked across the floor as every other mortal and couldn't help but grow angry at the unnatural sight.

With a mixture of rage and curiosity, Kagome snuck after them. It wasn't Sesshomaru that she followed, though; it was the grounded goddess. After the Chinese woman delivered the lord, she solemnly walked back to her quarters. Not wanting to be rude by barging in, the miko quietly knocked on her door.

Instead of the short, pale skinned woman, Kagome was greeted by a heavily pregnant African. Her brown eyes widened just as much as the miko's did. In an instant, the darker skinned woman glanced about the hall before dragging the girl inside.

"Child, what are you doing in such a place?" Again, a foreigner spoke perfect Japanese.

This tall African woman towered over her with dark, textured hair in small beaded knots over her scalp, full, natural lips, and proud, high cheekbones. A large, male lion pelt decorated her head and simple, waist wrap. Her neck was covered in rings and beaded necklaces that hung low enough to hide her nipples. However, just as the other girl, she also wore that ornate necklace with the red jewel.

"I am here with Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome explained. "Why are you here?"

The pregnant woman sighed before motioning to the rest of the room. Kagome gasped at the large room filled with women of different stages of pregnancy. There was a woman dressed in ancient Egyptian garb with grand wings and a red crown. Another one looked like she wore harem or belly dancing garb. There were seven women with four of them showing with swollen bellies.

"The woman who gave birth last called Lord Alduin a 'World Eater'." She began. "He flies around the world and takes women born of their land and people. We are forced to bare him a child and raise them before we are freed." Several of the ladies touched the necklace as Kagome realized that it was more like a collar.

"Is it the necklace that allows you to speak our language?"

It was the Egyptian that spoke up, "We hear our own language from your tongue as you do ours."

"And your children, what happens to them?"

"We don't know." She replied as another continued in her place, "I've seen the children of others and they didn't know the current locations of their mothers. They said that they were Lord Alduin's children of the world and he made sure they lived well."

Kagome couldn't believe they were the guests of such a monster. The taller goddess held the younger girl's hands and stared at her with grave warning. "You must not catch his eye, child of the future." The miko gasped at her with an open mouth as she finished, "Return to your room and do nothing to be more than common."

With that, the African lady expelled her from the room. Kagome stumbled into the hallway and quickly snuck back to her quarters. The danger of being caught seeming much worse than it had before. Finding Sesshomaru sitting at a low table in the room, the dark haired girl closed the door and then ran to his side.

Kagome collapsed to her knees and clutched at the trailing fabric of his left sleeve. She couldn't speak so she rested her arm and head on the table corner beside her. Quietly watching the stoic lord continue writing his letter, Kagome felt tears slip out. The young miko tried to calm down, but she was scared. If that lord could take a goddess from her home, what stopped him from taking her, a human priestess, from hers? How many women had this man raped and impregnated? Even Naraku hadn't threatened her in this way. Kagome was truly scared.

All too soon, it was time for dinner, and all too quickly, Kagome and Sesshomaru stood before a banquet table seated for dozens of people. They were shown to their seats with Kagome at Alduin's left and Sesshomaru to his right. The rest of the seats were filled with his children and a couple of mothers. The eldest four daughters sat closest to the guests while a couple young children sat near the end.

Lord Alduin stood before his family and toasted, "Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome have come to consider one of my children as his bride. We celebrate!" The family chanted in union, "We are the children of the world. Dragons are its future."

An eerie feeling would have consumed the unusually timid miko if she didn't know that humans would prevail. The pair remained quiet through dinner, even as the three of the four daughters tried conversation. Kagome only spoke when spoken to, taking comfort in the soft, white fur that curled around her ankle.

"Lady Kagome, where are you from?" The blue skinned Oceana asked, having given up on the stoic lord.

"I am a native shrine maiden with a hut in the village near Inuyasha's Forest."

"Oh? Isn't that in the eastern lands? Why is the Lord of the West traveling with a priestess of someone else's land?" Suddenly, more eyes focused on the young woman.

"Lord Sesshomaru became an acquaintance through my travels with his half-brother." There was a wave of mixed reactions amongst the audience, but Oceana was relentless.

"The lord's brother must be demon or half-demon, at least. Why would a holy woman travel with someone they would view as tainted by evil?" Even Lord Alduin subtly watched as the shock and anger stunned the miko in question.

"Subjugation beads, Kagome tamed that embarrassment." Sesshomaru intercepted, stealing back the attention of the table with his confident voice. Not much more was said beyond this point, and the pair was allowed to return to their room.

Instead of entering, Sesshomaru stopped at the door. "This Sesshomaru shall go seek audience with the first daughter, have the report ready for my return." Kagome nodded before watching him return down the hall. Gazing at the white figure, her thoughts reminded her that he had said her name at dinner. Her cheeks flushed red and her heart fluttered to life at the memory of his voice. Then, there was his mokomoko and how he walked her to their door. Kagome sighed with the thought that he needed to stop being so kind or she would be in trouble. If she fell anymore in love, then the miko might not let him go.

"Lady Kagome, I was just coming to see you." A masculine voice called out from behind her. "Won't you join me for a walk through my garden?"

Lord Alduin stood too close and already held her smaller hand in his. "Come." The dragon commanded as he led her in the opposite direction of the western lord. His grip around her hand and waist was firm but not aggressive in anyway. Her simple red and white clashed against the grays, reds, and blacks of his luxurious robes.

Once they arrived, Kagome was released but the tall lord stayed at her side. Foreign flowers and fruit bloomed here. It was hard to feign surprise when the girl was so nervous.

"Here, try this." Lord Alduin shoved a red tomato in front of her face, chuckling as Kagome took a messy bite. The fruit had been ripe with juices and they made sure to drip down her chin. The next fruit of choice had been a mango followed by a strawberry.

"Please, no more, Lord Alduin. I'm full from dinner." Kagome begged in a jokingly light voice so not to insult him.

"Very well" He laughed as he pulled her along to the flowered part of the garden. Sesshomaru's garden looked vacant in comparison, but blue eyes were drawn to the one flower you could find there. It was a simple white bloom that Rin had planted to remind her of her lord while he was away. Kagome knelt in front of the plain flower sitting amongst the vibrant rainbow surrounding it.

"Do you prefer this one, my lady?" The dragon lord interrupted. "I was under the impression women liked ornate and colorful things, but I suppose a lady of the shrine would prefer a life of simplicity." Blue eyes refused to fully turn and meet his red ones. Kagome felt it was better to let him believe such things, but he continued. "You know, there is a rumor about a powerful and skillful miko that traveled the land looking for shards of the Shikon Jewel." Kagome froze in her knelt position. "They say she returned to life after fifty years and helped defeat the insufferable Naraku."

Her shoulders relaxed as the young woman stood to face Lord Alduin. "Her name was Kikyo and she came from my village." Kagome had to think how to word this without lying, "She died loving Inuyasha, and did not agree with my connection to him."

With disappointment dulling those red irises, they continued walking through the manicured flowers and plants. Barely a minute later, they happened upon a blonde with her hands in the dark dirt. When they approached, she stood in surprise.

"Ah, Gael, what perfect timing. I have some business to attend to, take care of our guest." The dark lord lightly shoved the shorter miko towards his daughter before hastily exiting.

The two women quietly judged each other for a moment before the taller dragon lady returned back to her gardening.

"You seemed to have offended my father, may I ask how?" Tanned hands softly patted the dirt around a freshly planted sprout.

"I think he thought I was somebody else." Kagome replied, crouching down to watch the girl work. The blonde accepted this answer with a hum, but this time it was the miko to ask a question. "Is there a reason behind the names: Gael, Terra, Oceana, and Pyro?"

"Shovel" Gael commanded with an open palm, as Kagome handed it to her, she responded. "You would have to have knowledge beyond that of a shrine maiden to perceive a pattern. I don't care how, but be more careful if you wish to remain hidden." Black hair bobbed as she hastily nodded in agreement.

"Gael is the name I was given when I showed signs of controlling the air around me. It isn't even in consideration of my mother's homeland, just as my sisters' names. Terra can summon any plant forth to do her bidding and Oceana can manipulate water. Sweet Pyro has power over fire but she is too scared to use it as frequently as us. Plant" The miko awkwardly grabbed the potted sprout and handed it to her.

"Do you enjoy gardening as a wind dragon?" Kagome continued her questioning.

"Yes, it is my favorite hobby. My mother raised me amongst these flowers, and I will tend to them until I am free to join her." The tanned features softened in memory.

A spark flashed in blue eyes, "Do you know where she is? Do you know what happened to her?" The image of those poor pregnant goddesses trapped in that room haunted her thoughts, but Gael shook her head.

"No, father said she left because she didn't want a dragon for a daughter, but I know that isn't true. Where ever she is, I'll find her. Nothing else really matters."

"Miko" A strong, angry voice called out from behind them. For a moment, Kagome turned expecting to see Sesshomaru, but it wasn't. Lord Alduin had returned and glared down at the two kneeling in the fresh dirt.

"Those matters are private." His head turned to his daughter, "As for you, Gael, I expected you to return her to her room. Instead you force our guest to dirty her clothes for your own amusement, shame on you."

His long fingers reached out and grabbed Kagome's left arm. Pain shot through her as his hand squeezed around her wound, the miko couldn't help the pained yelp. It took everything not to zap him with her holy powers as he continued to drag her up. A blade rested on the dragon lord's wrist as Alduin locked eyes with a furious Sesshomaru. The room froze as Kagome was released and crumbled back to the floor.

With Tokijin sheathed, the western lord stared down the dragon with molten gold eyes. The miko sneaked a quick look to Gael and mouthed, "Help me." Kagome made sure to whimper as she ghosted a trembling hand over her poor arm. The blonde got the message before helping the girl to her feet. The miko continued to lean on her as the two walked past the angry men and into the clear hall. Kagome had to make sure that her new friend wasn't left alone with an angry man and his treatment of women.

It was a standoff between the two men, and neither of them would break eye contact. "Sesshomaru!" The soft voice of the injured miko called out in the hopes to stop any actual battle from sparking. Lord Alduin smiled and bowed, "Go on, Sesshomaru. Your human is calling. Perhaps next time you could put a leash on that little tramp. I might not be able to remain so dignified if she keeps bewitching me with her advances."

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome tried again. This time, he listened and turned his back to the still smiling dragon. Gael left to hide in her sister's room as the lord joined the miko in the hall. Kagome walked upright as they returned to their room; her right hand clutching at her elbow.

The moment the door was closed behind her, the miko bowed, "I'm so sorry!" Kagome tried to blink away the tears that started building around the edges of her vision. If someone like Miroku had come instead, Sesshomaru would not have to be dealing with such difficulties.

"You were not here with your report ready." His words were distant and cold. When she tried to look at him, his head was turned away.

"He came as soon as you left. I hadn't even gone in yet before he dragged me to the gardens."

The tall form refused to budge, causing Kagome more distress. "Please, Sesshomaru, look at me. I willingly went with him against your order of preparing my records, I'm sorry." When the demon lord still refused to meet her eye, the miko reacted as she always had with a troublesome Inuyasha, she got mad.

"Damn it, Sesshomaru, give me your thoughts on the girl you spoke with while I check my wounds." Regardless of being uncomfortable cursing, Kagome sulked her way to the yellow backpack and then flopped down at the low table. Years with Inuyasha's foul attitude was bound to take its toll. Sesshomaru hadn't been expecting this defiance but he never could predict the girl.

A quick glance had those golden eyes widen as Kagome slid out of the left side of her kimono top. She knew he had seen her shirtless several times by now, so letting him see her cutest bra was barely a passing thought. He still hadn't spoken, but at least moved to sit across the table from her. They both eyed the stitched skin, looking for any new imperfections. Lord Alduin's fingers had pressed and ripped open a couple of the branches but the main wound seemed untouched.

"Oceana is acceptable." Sesshomaru began, "She is intelligent and quiet. You were with the one called Gael?"

Kagome hummed to show she had heard him as she wrapped ointment covered gashes with fresh bandages. He didn't speak again while she finished both bandages and report edits. The miko could feel him watching her, but her frustration with the lord kept her from looking back at him. It continued this way as she got out her calculus book and started relearning one of those old lessons that plagued her time with Inuyasha.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru does not like to be ignored." His voice interrupted after several minutes of reading. Kagome didn't reply this time, simply continued reading. Another minute passed in silence and the miko liked to believe she could feel the growing anger from the dog demon across from her.

A large hand slipped into her vision and blocked her view of the book. It slid closer until a single claw hooked under her chin; a sudden sting showed how sharp it really was. The pain increased as it was pushed into the soft flesh until she finally allowed her head to rise. Even with her head facing Sesshomaru, blue eyes stayed lowered on either his sleeves or the table.

"Kagome" Sesshomaru commanded. Hearing her name still sent shivers down her spine and she couldn't help but look at him now. His silver hair pooled over the decorative red pattern on his shoulder while his arm stretched out to hook that lethal talon against her skin. And his eyes, god, she regretted looking in them. Pools of liquid gold hot enough to melt away any negativity, Kagome felt her mind and body grow tingly. What was worse was that she knew the lord was well aware of his bewitching effect and did it anyway.

"Sesshomaru" She hadn't meant to say anything; it just slipped out. Blushing at the mistake, the miko tried to look away again. A sharp pain from the claw, a quick gasp, and Kagome was back to looking at the demon lord.

"You were with Gael, were you not?"

"Yes, it was Gael in the garden." The miko hazily replied.

"Your thoughts"

"My thoughts are…" It was very hard to think when his full focus seemed to be locked onto her. Kagome swallowed as she tried to think louder than her raging heart beat. It didn't help when his eyes flickered to the sudden movement. "Gael wants to find her mother. I'm afraid mating you would come second."

The dangerous hand receded into his sleeve with a subtle nod, "Then she is a 'no', as you would put it." Not trusting her voice, Kagome nodded and reopened the scroll. She could breathe again as his attention on her relaxed.

Once the miko was at some steady level of calm, she spoke up, "You know, don't you?" A slender brow rose in question. "About… about my feelings." She held her breath until his smooth voice replied, "I do." Her stomach dropped and her heart skipped a beat. Kagome had hoped that he was as clueless as Inuyasha, but she knew how eerily perceptive the demon lord was.

"If you feel somebody else would be better qualified to continue this job, then I can leave." She offered, pausing in her calculus.

"That will not be necessary." Blue eyes glanced up only to see the ghost of a frown.

"Then please do not call me by name in the company of your possible mates." It hurt for her to ask this. Kagome preferred to hear her name than the generic title and she often fought to have it said.

"This Sesshomaru remembers agreeing to address you by name if you could manage basic formalities." His head tilted against the white mokomoko. "Are you nullifying such agreement?"

Kagome knew he could sense the sadness she felt, whether it be by smell or some other talent. It was with a solemn nod that she admitted, "I am."

"Very well"

Well into the night, the miko looked at the thing that they had managed to ignore all day. Barely lit by the candlelight on the table before her sat a large, four poster bed. Sesshomaru had moved to sit on it with his back against the headboard. Of course, he had only taken to one of the sides, leaving Kagome to pine after the other. It looked so cushioned.

"Sleep, Kagome." She jerked in surprise as the lord sat there with his eyes closed. It was like he hadn't spoken at all. The miko stared in disbelief until one of his eyes peeked open at her. "Miko" he warned. That was all it took to trigger the girl into blowing out the candle and slipping into the comforters of the western styled bed. Of course she kept to the far edge of her side, but that didn't stop the embarrassment and comfort that came with mokmoko slipping over her side.

"Good night, my lord." She whispered, hiding her burning, red face in the cool sheets. The fur covered pelt squeezed at her hip in response as she drifted off to sleep.


	8. You Tease

Hey guys! The household is finally settling down enough for me to work on the story again, but I'm still pretty distracted with my own pup. Sorry about the wait! Only a few more girls left until the ending chapters. Soon, there will be an interesting meeting between our little miko and Sesshomaru's mother, but until then, lets play with some more dragons. Thank you for reading! ~Catclass

Chapter 8

Kagome floated amongst white clouds and blue skies. Each fluffy, white form felt of cotton and fur. The bright, golden sun warmed her skin like the sweetest embrace. Everything was perfect until she realized there were two suns amongst the ever growing white clouds. They were forming a face that looked like Inuyasha until a subtle moon glowed between those yellow orbs.

"Sesshomaru?" She called out to the shifting form. "Sesshomaru!" It was no use as the orbs turned red and the sky became black. Lord Alduin cackled at her as the soft clouds turned to small hands that grabbed at her form. There were hands everywhere as the miko struggled and screamed in protest. "Miko" The ugly face spat, still sneering and laughing. Two, maybe four, white hands clamped around her neck. Kagome struggled to breathe, whimpering in fear. "Miko" The twisted mouth of lightening called to her again as it roared in more laughter. Everything began being sucked into it like a void. The girl screamed as the hands dragged her into the dark mouth and it closed around her.

"Kagome!" Blue eyes shot open to find gold ones staring back. A pale hand wrapped around the side of her head, his thumb resting over her cheekbone. His other hand held her glowing, right hand on the pillow between them. She was shaking, her throat was raw, and torrents of tears spilt from her eyes.

"Ses…Sesshomaru" Kagome whimpered.

"Miko, calm yourself." The lord ordered in a soft whisper. She pulled back the holy magic in her right hand as her left came up to hold the one cupping her face.

She sniffled again before letting out another whimper, "Don't let him eat me. Don't…" There were more tears and small hiccups before she settled down.

As she grew more aware of her surroundings, Kagome recognized that she was being held to the bed by a third thing. His hands still held her wrist and face, so it took her a moment to process what had the rest of her. Mokomoko had fully slipped around her waist and down between her thighs. The covers sat, piled at the foot of her bed, leaving her tousled and open miko garb visible. If she hadn't been so scared, Kagome would have found the whole situation erotic and embarrassing. Sesshomaru still hadn't moved from his position over her.

"What happened?" She meekly whispered. Slowly, the lord released her to return to a proper sitting position. Kagome wiped the tears away and fixed her kimono, while Sesshomaru thought about how to respond.

"Were you plagued with night terrors with Naraku?" He chose.

"I had nightmares, yeah, but why did you have to hold me down? I've never had to have somebody hold me before." She turned on her side to face him, watching for any subtle emotions.

"So this has not happened before?"

"I still don't know what exactly happened Sesshomaru." She hinted with mild frustration.

"You were restless and screaming." Kagome felt that was a mild understatement for him to wind up in such a position but chose to let him keep that version. Her quiet, "oh" slipped out before the whispered, "Then, no, it's never happened before."

It crept into a quiet morning as neither wished to talk about her fit. Eventually the miko lost her patience with the awkward atmosphere and grabbed her bathing supplies. He watched her leave the room but didn't say anything.

Once in the hallway, Kagome took a deep breath and released most of her inner tension. With her bundle of stuff, the miko wandered down the hall and into the bathing room. It wasn't a natural looking spring as the others had been, but a floor leveled pool. Steam floating off the surface promised of its warmth.

She quickly stripped away the miko garb that had been tainted with sweat. Even though they were dirty, Kagome made sure to properly fold the red and white outfit. Then, she placed the bra that she had hoped to wear another day on top of the pile, followed by her panties. Black hair had been brushed earlier, but the young woman left it down with the intent of bathing. Lastly, Kagome sat along the edge of the pool as she unwrapped white bandages from her arm, also showing signs of sweat.

Using small nail clippers, the miko snipped down the line of stitches and carefully removed each piece. A little blood bubbled along the surface of the tiny holes but the main wound was sealed. Dark pink scar tissue stretched around her arm in a ragged band with dark red blossoms of scabs here and there. Bright red blood mixed with drops of water as the miko softly washed it clean.

The rest of her bath had gone as it usually did: shampoo, conditioner, soap, and shave. It was all perfect in the water that was as warm as it had promised. Her mind slipped back to Shippo and Rin as she relaxed. The little girl would be a grown woman before Shippo reached her current height. She went from being a little sister to big sister in only a couple of years. Kagome blushed, "Not that I think she's my daughter or anything." Her words came out as mumbling in the large room.

A pale, clawed hand rested against the edge of the pool from behind her. Kagome hoped it was Sesshomaru, prayed for it even, but she knew. Hot breath behind her ear slowly glided down her neck and to her shoulder. She was frozen in place, petrified. That is, she was until she got angry.

Pink aura raged over soft skin as Kagome turned to face her intruder. Water swished as the dark lord retreated a step back, but he smiled happily. Forgetting her nudity, the enraged miko screeched, "Pervert! Stay back or I'll cook you in your own bath!" A pulse of holy magic emphasized her point.

He laughed. The miko's anger wavered as Lord Alduin cackled out, "Your game is most amusing!" When he calmed some more, the dragon continued, "My tongue is never wrong, you see. Your undergarments prove me right."

Blue eyes widened before shooting over to her pile of clothes. Kagome's favorite bra sat innocently on top. However, a cold grip around her neck had the young woman jerked back to face him. A forked tongue slipped out and caressed the bottom of her chin. Kagome knew he was tasting the small scab from Sesshomaru last night.

"Get off!" The young woman screamed as she threw her hands forward. A barrier formed and repelled him even further across the room. While his form was submerged and she was safely behind a barrier, Kagome climbed out of the bath. She slipped on her panties and bra before the black haired man rose from beneath the surface. Water glided off his black hair; it fell across his white face and red eyes. When she met those eyes, the miko froze again. Lord Alduin terrified her.

"How you tease me, my little miko." A Cheshire grin spread across that bony face. Kagome felt bile jump into her throat and burn at it.

"I'm not your 'little miko', you creep!" Her eyes never left him as she grabbed the rest of her stuff. The young woman held the holy barrier with a towel wrapped securely around her body until the dragon lord attacked. His hand transformed into scaled talons as it struck against the pink wall. The force at which he hit sent her stumbling against the wall, but her barrier held.

"Is this how women of your time flirt? It is very enticing." The dragon growled before striking another blow. This one knocked the girl to her knees. Kagome clutched at the towel as she screamed with every hit. Lord Alduin's human features twisted into reptilian ones as he grew more excited and gleeful.

The holy barrier shrunk around her as the deadly strikes got closer. Kagome knew that her friends and family would be shunned or killed if she attacked a lord in his own home, but it was getting hard to stay defensive. The heat from the crackling of his talons hitting pink magic made her realize how close the dragon lord had gotten. In a sudden move, the miko flickered her holy magic long enough to roll out of the way and capture him inside the small bubble.

"Miko~" Lord Alduin called out in a sing-song tune. "I'm going to catch you~!"

The bile returned to her throat as she bolted for the door. Terror struck when she found the thick wooden door to be locked. "Sesshomaru!" The young woman screamed as she beat at the polished wood. "Sesshomaru!"

Crack! The sound of her magic shattering ceased all panic. Slow padding of wet footsteps on stone casually moved closer. Kagome sprinted across the side of the pool and to one of the large windows. Her fingers barely reached the edge; even with her training, the young woman could not have made that jump. "Crap" She swore under her breath.

"Alright, little miko, I'm done playing your silly games." The dragon lord appeared in front of her with the poise of a taiyoukai. His features had returned to the pale face as his lip pulled into a smirk. "It's time for my prize."

"No!" Kagome screamed and repelled him into the wall with her powers. "Sesshomaru!"

"Sesshomaru~!" Lord Alduin mocked. He stood up and slammed her back into the same wall. "Calling out somebody else's name while you flirt with me is so rude of you."

The dragon lord only had a loosely closed bathing kimono clinging to his body as it dripped water to the stone floor. Its black cloth looked leather with the amount of water still held within it, but Kagome found that it didn't feel like leather when it rubbed against her thighs. Lord Alduin was suffocating her both mind and body. His powerful aura clashed against her remaining holy light and he was winning. The tall man's body squeezed the slender neck while he pushed her small form against the stone wall. She gasped for air as he leaned in to nip at her ear. "Submit to your lord." A snake tongue licked across her cheek.

"Never" Kagome hissed as she brought her knee up between his legs. It was the dark lord's turn to gasp and fold over in pain. With her throat bruised but free, the girl grabbed his shoulder and gave the pervert a strong right hook to the jaw. Inuyasha had taught her that one.

The miko was about to escape when a large hand pulled her long, black hair. Another scream escaped when she knew that he now had her from behind, her wounded arm pinned at her back. "You bitch" The dragon lord spoke in a monstrous growl.

Ominous wind forced her to clutch at the wall for support as it beat against her. Kagome screamed again as the dark aura could be seen consuming the room even with her eyes squeezed shut. Blue eyes peeked at the horror behind her to find a full sized, black dragon looking down at her. Its spiked head looked like her whole body could be swallowed in one bite. Much larger talons stomped down nearby causing cracks and dust among the stone floor.

"If you won't submit by choice, then I will force you down." The scaled snout roared in a deeper version of his normal voice.

Before Kagome could respond, the bathroom door exploded into splinters. A red-eyed Sesshomaru walked in dragging an unconscious Terra. He threw the girl before her father and carefully studied the room. The miko slid down to the floor as the huge dragon turned to face him.

"Sesshomaru" She whimpered.

Fierce demonic eyes turned to her crumbled form, still barely wrapped in a towel. The young woman watched his nostrils flare and knew he could smell everything. More supernatural wind spiraled about the demon lord as fangs elongated in rage.

Tokijin sang out as it joyfully sliced at the steel scales. The snapping of the dragon's jaw rumbled the floor like thunder and the long tail splashed waves of water across the stone walls. In a flash of light, the dog demon's sword clanged loudly against a scaled forearm. Black talons swiped, barely missing magenta stripes. White and red fabric revealed a counter strike of poisoned claws before Tokijin could land another hit. This strike sent the dragon lord back into the pool, only to reemerge with a sharp blade pointed under his chin.

"I surrender for now." The sopping wet man grumbled. "It's not appealing when a bitch screams out the name of another man."

Sheathing the sword, Sesshomaru turned to the shaking miko. His red, demonic eyes stayed glowing angrily as he quickly walked to her side. Pale hands lifted her from the floor and carried her small form out the door.

A burst of dark energy sparked from behind the fur clad shoulder as the sound of water splashing met her human ears. Before noticing one of his hands had been replaced by mokomoko, a trail of light swished through the air. The energy evaporated and a soft thud could be heard even though she couldn't see anything. Kagome closed her eyes, wanting to believe that Lord Alduin wouldn't catch her. She wanted to believe that he would never eat her or anyone else ever again.

They entered the room; the miko felt the soft bed beneath her. Sesshomaru, eyes still glowing and fangs still long, stayed glowering over her. Silver hair curtained the rest of the world as the tall demon leaned forward. The pale face with ragged markings disappeared around the side of her face, but his heavy breath could still be felt. Kagome gasped as a warm tongue slowly licked at the flesh that had been tainted by the dragon lord. Her heart jumped into a new speed as that tongue made its way to her throat in small lapping motions. A white leg slid onto the mattress beside her.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome gasped again as his nose touched the bottom of her chin. Instead of responding, the demon lord growled. Suddenly, the strange comforting turned scary. He could smell her fear and to her horror lightly placed an open mouth over her jugular. The strange acting Sesshomaru growled again as his fangs bit at her neck.

Barely thinking, Kagome relaxed into his hold and lifted her chin further. The young woman laid there, baring her neck to the demon. Apparently, she chose correctly because Sesshomaru released her, only to nuzzle the bruised flesh. Red eyes finally shifted to gold as he stood straight.

"You are well?" Sesshomaru asked as if he hadn't just made the young woman into a feverish pile of goo.

"I am very well, my lord." Kagome let slip out as her cloudy mind tried to recover from the intoxicating experience. It went tumbling back down as he tilted his head and smirked. "Indeed."

Glancing away, blue eyes fell on scarred flesh. She whipped around and pulled up his long white and red sleeve. The demon lord watched stoically as the curious miko revealed his own scarred flesh. Kagome felt bad for an instant with the memories of Inuyasha cutting off his first arm, but the fact that it grew back during a fight with Naraku quelled any negativity. She pulled her arm against his and beamed, "We match!" His steady gaze didn't touch her joy as she rolled off the bed and continued getting dressed. A hard blush and warm stomach had the young woman with an excess of energy.

"So, what happened between you and Terra?" Gold eyes watched the towel drop from behind the open, short kimono top. Her blue panties peaked out from under the white curtain as she moved around. "What took you so long to come for me?"

She peaked over her shoulder to catch his eyes curiously low for such a dignified lord. When they shot back up to meet hers, they weren't gold but honey. "And…" She turned back to pull on her hakama; he watched that too. "What was that… on the bed? You acted strange."

After tying and tucking her miko garb into place, Kagome made her way to the stuffed bag. She didn't expect that he would reply for some time, so the young woman got out her scroll to cross Terra off the list.

"That one attempted using toxins to manipulate this Sesshomaru." He eventually admitted as he resumed a lounging position on the bed. "Her spells, however, proved troublesome."

Kagome repacked her bag, minus her hairbrush, as the reality that they just killed the Lord of the South set in. When she was ready for mayhem to ensue at any moment, the miko sat against the beam across from the demon lord to begin the process of detangling her long locks. It was some odd level of peace that left her smiling.

"His stench should not taint you." His quiet voice almost whispered.

"Oh, that makes sense, I think." The miko watched those amber orbs stare at the dim candles around the room. "Why did you bite me?" She pushed.

The silver lord frowned at her accusation, "This Sesshomaru did no such thing."

"I vaguely remember teeth on my neck." She innocently recalled as the brush glided through her hair.

"A human could not understand demon ways." Now, he was purposefully looking away from her, but Kagome struggled to take him seriously. She burst into laughter which did get Sesshomaru to turn an angry glare at her. In a fit of giggles she managed to say, "wait, wait… let me guess."

He was surely insulted at this point, but the miko hadn't had this much fun in a while. "Were you scaring away the bruising he left?" She checked his response; nothing. "Were you checking my temperature?" Again, there was nothing. "Were you being an alpha dog and having me submit?" Wait, his frown relaxed and eyebrows lifted a little. "You had me submit?!" She squeaked and dropped the brush.

"The inner beast had the dragon perish for attacking pack under a treaty of peace." He said nonchalantly before leaning forward to grab the pink handle. Handing it back to her, he revealed quite the mischievous smirk, "This Sesshomaru is your 'alpha dog' now, miko." He leaned back and closed his eyes, perfectly content. Kagome sat there, dumbstruck, and ever failing to fight against the warm and fuzzy feelings engulfing her. Her thoughts, however, couldn't help but wonder why someone who would let her go as soon as this was over was drawing her in so close.

As expected, soldiers came barging in and lined up at the entrance. Kagome had had plenty of time to draw her bow from the sitting position against the bed post. Sesshomaru, true to his nature, never budged from his comfortable position.

A tall woman with red eyes and aqua hair gracefully walked in, the soldiers saluting at her entrance. Her blue and green dress trailed along the floor behind her as a gold crown decorated her head. It was obvious that this was a lady of royalty with endless grace and poise.

"This Kimiko is grateful to you for ending the reign of my elder brother." The dragoness tipped her head in gratitude. "Many ladies of the world, goddesses and demons, perished from his appetite. This little sister could only save a few, but not enough."

Kagome eased the tension on her bow and let the arrow tilt to the floor. She looked at the same crimson eyes as the horrible lord, but these were different. Kimiko finished with a proud, motherly smile, "Please, continue your stay here as you meet with any daughter or lady of the late lord. You are cherished guests to the ruling Lady of the South."

Sesshomaru made sure to nod before the entourage followed their new ruler down the hall. The miko eventually relaxed, bow lying across her lap. Everything seemed calm until a memory had the girl on her feet and out the door. She raced down the hall and into the room of pregnant women.

Kimiko looked surprised at the human's sudden arrival, but continued to remove the large necklaces from the women around the room. One by one, the goddesses nodded before taking another form to leave. A couple birds flew through the taunting, open windows while another simply evaporated. Soft chuckling caught her ear and brought her attention to the African goddess.

"Are you okay to travel home?" The miko asked, noting the lack of the ornate collar. The older woman caressed her large stomach before smiling. "These children shall arrive any day now. Home will wait for us."

"Wait, 'children', are you expecting twins?" The goddess laughed at Kagome's innocent reaction. Returning to a chuckle, the dark skinned beauty replied, "When you are as old a spirit as I, one birth welcomes many to new life." Blue eyes blinked in awe as the power of the woman before her sunk in.

"Help me, child." Long, brown fingers stretched out towards the smaller miko. "I need to feel the land beneath these swollen feet." Kimiko had long moved on to her next task in some other room, leaving Kagome and the dark- skinned goddess. Together, they got her large form off the cushioned couch and down the noisy hallway. Children and mothers were running about in cheer as the human helped her waddle past the main entrance.

Standing amongst the many families in the courtyard, the African woman sighed in contentment. Her earth-toned toes mixed with healthy dirt and grass as fresh wind returned her lost breath. The sweetest voice of a little girl sung out in a joyful melody. Soon, another joined her and another after that. Women of the world sung for their freedom, their children, and their homes. Chills shivered over Kagome's skin with the melody. Tears of many dripped to the courtyard's dirt and sprouted beautiful flowers. One by one, the families took to the skies, glowing like the ethereal beings they truly were.

With the setting sun, Kagome watched Gael and Terra transform into dragons before flying in opposite directions. The only song left ringing through the wondrous yard turned garden was the melody of the goddess at her side. Soon, it too ended in the softest whisper.

As if liquid, the world came up to meet her as the older woman moved to sit. Plants and roots twisted and bloomed into a lovely cane for her to lean upon. The miko simply sat on the ground beside her as they watched the red and yellow sunset.

"May I know your name?" Kagome asked softly, looking up at the peaceful goddess.

"There are many names that the humans of my land give me, but I am most fond of Asase Yaa." The miko did not recognize the name, but made sure to remember it. "Asase Yaa?" She repeated.

"Yes, child. Asase Yaa." Those dark brown eyes glimmered in amusement as they slipped down to glance at the little miko.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kagome." The girl smiled.

The goddess hummed, "The spirits on the winds of this land comforted many of us with stories of a maiden from the future with such a name. One brags about its child, a demon lord, sharing romance with this girl."

"What?!" Kagome gawked, "There is no romance! I mean, yeah, ok, I kind of like the guy. But the feeling is not mutual! And who's to say its love, right? I mean, I loved his brother for years and it didn't last, so this will also fade. Besides, he couldn't love me. I'm only human." Pink cheeks puffed in a pout as blue eyes studied a rock. Asase Yaa shook with uncontrollable laughter causing a stubborn smile to sneak back onto the miko's pale face.

"Miko" Shocked embarrassment froze the girl to her spot at his voice. The goddess snickered as she stood, a happy tree softly growing through the rock to aid her rise.

Silver hair shimmered in the dimming light as the demon lord waited patiently for the miko to turn. Kagome gradually met his eye, but she couldn't make out what emotion floated behind the stoic mask. Her heart rate increased as his focus settled on her alone.

"Are you not returning tonight?"

"Do you mind? I don't want her to be alone when she goes into labor."

Sesshomaru's lazy gaze drifted to the large stomach before he nodded in acceptance. Kagome sweetly smiled as the demon started to walk away. A nudge from Asase Yaa and a pointed look had the young woman running after him.

"Wait! Sesshomaru!" Her small hand grabbed at his long sleeve. A silver brow furrowed in concern as he waited for her to continue. "I, um, I wanted to say goodnight."

A subtle, slow blink from the lord had pink lips open in hesitation. "Oh! Right. Good night, Lord Sesshomaru."

His slender hand rose up to gently caress her blushing cheek, darkening with the slightest movement. It slipped around her face as he leaned forward. Kagome's eyes fluttered shut as his bangs mixed with her black ones. Like their bangs, the miko could feel the light and dark energy mixing around them. She smiled into his touch, well aware of how deeply she had fallen in love.

"I await the day." He whispered.


	9. Kiss Goodbye

Hello, I'm sorry for the delay. Due to certain reasons its been hard for me to get back to writing. If you couldn't tell, my previous chapter went up without me doing a final read through because I knew that I wouldn't be able to post anything else for a while. Also, a lot of you were confused as to why I would end on Sesshomaru's "I await the day" its really strange right? Well, if you can hold on for a little while more you'll get some questions answered by a certain canine mother. Until then, please enjoy this chapter as well and have a geat day! ~Catclass

Chapter 9

Sapphire eyes glazed over as the young woman's vision lost the battle to her thoughts. A soft blush still adorned her cheeks even as the hours passed by. Her restless body lay across a western couch while the pregnant Asase Yaa slept in a nearby bed.

Kagome couldn't get that moment with the lord out of her mind; it played on repeat. She thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. The miko huffed in the darkness at the memory of seeing him already walking away when she reopened her eyes. How could he do that to a girl? He knew about her feelings. Kagome pouted at his cruelty.

But, there was that. "I await the day." He had said to her. Small teeth bit at a pink bottom lip as the blush grew again. Kagome smiled at the drop of the third person speech pattern. Sesshomaru had only ever dropped it for Chouko, the butterfly demoness, because of her curse to be loved. For a moment both the miko and demon lord loved the tortured woman, but it was still a shock to hear him use first person. Could it mean that he loved her as well? Did it mean that he was waiting until he could see her again? Why did he have to be so damn cryptic?

"Child" The deeper voice of the African goddess broke through her thoughts. "It is time. Return me to the courtyard so that I may take my children home."

Kagome shot up and ran to her side. Together they slowly waddled the laboring Asase Yaa down the hall and back outside. The dark skinned goddess hissed with each wave of contractions. Once both pairs of bare feet reached dirt and grass the earth sprung to life for the soon to be mother. The stone seat from the day before shifted into a bed with thick layers of moss growing for her comfort. Large Shitake mushrooms grew in place of a pillow as they rested Asase Yaa's heavy body on the bed of flora.

The miko held the crushing, larger hand as the older woman's contractions started coming closer together. She tried to shift around to check on the child's passage, but Asase Yaa did not let go.

"I need to make sure the baby is crowning safely."

"No, child! I'm no mortal woman."

"But, someone needs to catch the baby, right?"

The goddess, while wincing in pain, laughed at the panicking girl. "Stay here with me and watch the birth of a goddess."

Kagome wasn't convinced but with a strangled yell from the woman, yellow light filled the courtyard. Orbs of light floated from between her legs, each of them carrying curled up children. These weren't human children but snakes, lizards and dragons. They looked like they were all still peacefully sleeping inside their warm eggs.

"These are my beautiful children of a dragon lord." Asase Yaa sighed in contentment. Her belly had instantly returned to a taut, muscled stomach after the birth. With a moment of watching the orbs float about the two women, the goddess stood from her bed. Kagome observed in mild envy at how she already looked as if she had never been pregnant at all.

The tall African goddess gracefully stepped over to the shorter Japanese priestess and kissed her forehead. The warmth from the soft touch sent sparks of magic through Kagome's lower abdomen.

"This old goddess gives you her blessing, Kagome Higurashi." Asase Yaa's form shifted into leaves that fell away. They never hit the ground as a gust of wind swept them into the night sky. The glowing orbs twisted and bobbed safely amongst them like floating flowers made of starlight.

The miko stumbled to the mossy bed, taking a needed seat. The feeling within her stomach had taken a much more physical feeling of movement. Her small hand clutched at the red hakama as fear started to shiver through her limbs. What did that blessing do? Sweat started to drip over her pale forehead as a blue form swept into her vision. The ringing of metal clinging together seemed so horribly loud.

"Lady Kagome!" Oceana supported the ill girl with one pair of hands and checked her temperature with the other. The symptoms calmed and the miko regained awareness.

"Oceana? What's happening to me?" Kagome lost track as to which hands were rubbing her back or checking her pupils, but at least they weren't blurry anymore. "Something is different!"

"Calm down!" Her voice was calm and commanding, making the young woman feel no more than a child. "Kagome, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened."

"Asase Yaa blessed me." Gasps of air slowly came slower and less desperate. "She did something to my insides. Even now, I can still feel it."

"Asase Yaa? The woman I saw you helping down the hallway yesterday?" Dark hair shifted with the subtle nod. "If it's a blessing then it isn't meant in ill intent. Is it getting better or worse?"

"Better."

"Ok. That's good." The blue skinned goddess sat with her, comforting her, until the miko finally calmed completely. "If you are well enough, I shall search my father's library for some answers. Will you be able to last until sunset to await any theories I may come upon?"

The tired girl nodded again, watching the golden jewelry glisten in the pre-dawn light. Oceana had dropped the scrolls and books she looted from somewhere in the castle and now had to pick them all back up. It was quick work with those light blue, decorated arms, but Kagome smiled at the dragoness's kindness.

After a few more minutes watching the rising sun add color to the morning sky, the miko finally stood from her spot. She deeply inhaled the sweet fragrance of the foreign flowers and blooms to grace the garden-like courtyard. It was enough to give her the strength to return down that long hall and into the shared bedroom.

Sesshomaru wasn't there. Kagome, even exhausted, didn't let that stop her. She climbed into the western, four-poster bed and clung to the pillows from his side. Even in his absence, his scent alone comforted her into a much needed slumber.

Black lashes fluttered open and she wondered the length of time that had passed. With a yawn and stretch, blue eyes scanned the room. "Good morning Sesshomaru."

A silver brow rose as gold irises traveled to her form. He grumbled. "It is midday."

Quiet growling noises from her small form triggered embarrassed giggles. Kagome moved to brush and put up her hair before motioning to the door. She inwardly decided not to worry him with her blessing mystery and offered, "Would you like to join me for lunch?"

With his usual "hn", the two walked to the dining room. The miko told him about her morning and how the children came out as floating lights. She grew very loud and excited as she gushed over the goddess's recovery time. Of course, Kagome made sure not include the rest of the tale.

The large room with the long table sat empty. The tableware still looked polished and pretty, but only two servants stood in the room. Every noise seemed to echo just a little bit more than it did before. However, it was to be expected after the departure of so many people.

The servants seemed happier than before, smiling as they brought out a bountiful meal. Just like the rest of the oddities of this estate, there were several foreign aspects to the dishes. Cheeses and bread adorned a plate next to a darling bowl of cut mango and apples. Kagome ate while it switched to Sesshomaru's turn to report on his morning.

"Lady Kimiko will be remaining here to regain control over her land."

"Is that where you were this morning?" She asked between bites. The lord's hum was the last thing she received from him vocally during the meal. So, there was another name she needed to cross off her list of possible mates. They had met fifteen girls and so far only three had passed.

As Kagome excused herself from his company, she knew there was one possible mate still at the castle. Or at least she hadn't seen her leave with the others. The miko started on her hunt for the orange haired Pyro.

These last couple of days had given her a wind dragon that preferred gardening, a nature dragon that preferred seduction, and a water dragon that preferred reading. The dark haired girl was still caught in surprise as she found the fire dragon watching boats at the edge of a dock. Her curly, orange hair stayed bound in two long braids framing her face as pale feet swished back and forth through the water.

"Excuse me, may I join you?" Kagome asked when she finally reached halfway over the wood planks. The girl jumped, her face was round and her eyes were beautifully big.

"Oh, please do. I um, I've forgotten your name. I'm sorry. I'm Pyro. Wait, you probably already know that. Sorry." The darling dragon stumbled over her words causing Kagome to smile.

"I'm Kagome." She offered a silly, small wave to comfort the girl. "Do you like the water?"

"Well, kind of." Pyro admitted while blushing. "I like boats more. Did you know there are different boats for every nation? The land of my mother has fast boats for warriors or so I've heard from Oceana."

"Oh, really?" The miko rolled her pant legs up to splash her feet in the water as well. "You are from the land of Odin, was it?"

"That's what father always said."

"Why don't you just go there and see for yourself?"

"Despite everything, this is my home. Plus, aren't I a possible mate to um the lord?" Kagome eyed the girl who may have already forgotten Sesshomaru's name. She didn't want to be the reason that 'the one' got away, but this meek girl didn't seem ready to manage the western land.

"Only if you want to be, it is your choice to marry Sesshomaru." She offered.

Light colored eyes stared hard at the water's surface before slowly turning to Kagome. "I want to change. I want to be stronger and I can't do that if I'm married to a stranger who simply takes care of me."

They came to a silent agreement before lightly bantering over the fashion in the castle. Pyro almost died of embarrassment at the thought of wearing Terra's outfit but gushed over Lady Kimiko's dresses. They laughed together when she admitted that she thought Sesshomaru was a woman when she first saw him, but both thought of him as very pretty.

The miko looked anxiously at the sun and wondered why it hadn't moved as fast as it had some other days. Not that she wasn't enjoying the dragoness's company, but she really wanted to hear Oceana's findings. It was two hours until sunset so Kagome did what she had to.

Saying goodbye to her new friend, the young woman returned inside to update her scrolls. Jakken stood next to the lord as he finished signing some important document. The toad joyously took the scroll and ran from the room. Kagome just paused for a moment, watching from the doorway.

"Jakken will be using Ah-Un for the time being." Sesshomaru generously explained to the staring girl.

With a shrug, she went back to the task at hand. "Pyro is also a 'no' because she is unwilling." Kagome explained as she sat across from the demon to unravel her own scroll. That meant of the five dragonesses suggested there was only one deemed suitable and willing to mate him. It unnerved her that most of these women had been judged way too fast. But, that's what the next selection stage would be about.

"Was that a message to Inuyasha?" She asked once the records were switched out with old text books.

Sesshomaru nodded before replying, "This Sesshomaru would like to have a home to return to and a new ruler in the south may profit the west."

"Why did you choose him to watch over the Western Palace?" The book just sat there, forgotten, under her elbows.

"The hanyou will guide the pup should history repeat itself." A soft frown twisted the young woman's features as she thought on his cryptic words. Kagome figured he meant the death of his father, and how Sesshomaru must have been left to take over prematurely. She wasn't sure if that was right but the lord had made it cryptic with that purpose.

A glance to the window had the miko on her feet. Black hair was already disappearing around the corner as she quickly spouted, "Promised to meet Oceana. Gonna be late. Be back in a bit!"

Small feet carried her to the courtyard and down the path she had seen the blue toned dragoness take earlier. Two large doors ended the trail, so the young woman entered. It was another massive room with miscellaneous furniture from different countries spread out across the marble floor. Soft sounds of turning pages and the jingling of jewelry came from a twisted stairwell.

Up she climbed, pausing to hear the subtle signs of life. The room she entered was just as big as the floor below, but books covered the walls. Scrolls were tucked in refurbished wine bottle racks against the walls that looked the dimmest. The miko vaguely wondered if this was how the Library of Alexandria had looked.

Off to the side, Oceana flipped through several books laid before her while one of her hands scribbled away at notes. She had not noticed Kagome at all, and continued to be wrapped up in her work well into the time the miko spent reading over her shoulder.

"Oceana?" Kagome softly poked one of the nearest arms.

"AH!" The blue beauty slammed down her books and pen and stood in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is it that time already?"

The miko laughed and took a seat. Oceana began, "You knew that Asase Yaa was a land goddess, but did she mention she sometimes delves into fertility?" Kagome shook her head as she continued, "Well, there aren't any direct correlations to this blessing and another in these records so I looked at other blessings. It ranges from normal things like painless childbirth, healthy kids, or you'll be very fertile to not so normal such as virgin pregnancy, fully divine children, or prophesy children."

After a moment, the young woman spoke, "Well, those don't sound bad at all." She sighed in relief as she mentally went down the list again. "A virgin pregnancy wouldn't be too terrible, but what do you mean about 'fully divine' and 'prophesy'?"

The dragoness hesitated to answer as she flipped open a book with unrecognizable writing. "It may be a stretch but I found a couple stories where a human woman gave birth to full gods instead of demi-gods as others had. Then, a child of prophesy would mean that your child would have fate twisted around him or her. They would be destined to do either great things or terrible things."

"Wait" Kagome held her breath, "Are you saying there is a chance that I could give birth to a god? What about a demon? Could I give birth to a full blooded demon?"

"Well, yes. I imagine the magic would work both ways." Oceana blinked at the strange priestess who had wrapped her pale arms around herself. "Do these theories satisfy you?"

Blue eyes sparkled with a sweet smile, "Yes. They are all wonderful." Kagome stood up to leave the dragoness but remembered, "Thank you very much." With a formal bow, the girl returned to the stoic lord and packed her bags for the morning's travels.

After three days, the lord and miko finally left the Southern Palace to travel up the western coast. With Jakken using Ah-Un to travel to Sesshomaru's estate, the pair chose to casually walk to their next destination. It was barely half of a day's journey, so Kagome wasn't in need of too much rest when they arrived.

After the odd palace, this classic Japanese estate felt nostalgic with its walkways and koi pond. This time, the miko knew that they would probably not stay long. The lord grew more anxious the closer to home he got. Or, that is what she wanted to believe.

The meeting with Michiko was not immediate, but Kagome enjoyed the refreshing drinks they offered while waiting. When she entered the room, her face hid behind an ornate fan. Layers of her green kimono dragged over the floor as she sat in front of her human guest. With a snap, the fan closed. Honey eyes locked on blue.

Michiko was a brown dog demoness from a family of fire elementals. Her pelt hung low over her kimono sleeves as a boa. Pointed ears and orange stripes gave away her demonic nature. She had average beauty in comparison to the others, but only Kagome could see that with the closeness that the lady was staring. She was indeed quite close.

"You are a beautiful specimen." Her honest tone seemed to cancel out the peculiar wording. The miko hoped her thanks would be enough to return the meeting to business, but her hopes went unheard. "What is your name, lovely?"

"I am Kagome and this is Lord Sesshomaru." She tried again. Pushing the acknowledgement to the quiet lord's presence did nothing. The demoness merely smirked and leaned closer.

"Kagome, that is such a fitting name. It is almost as cute as you." A soft blush reddened the young woman's cheeks with a glance to Sesshomaru. The dog demon met her look with silent amusement at these turn of events. The miko lightly pouted as she found herself alone against the flirtatious woman.

"We have come to see about the general's promotion of you as a possible candidate to become Lady of the West." Kagome rushed the last of her words when a sneaky hand caressed the bare skin of her wrist. Michiko's intentions were quite obvious to everyone in the room at this point, but she did it with subtle grace. That delicate and devious thumb started rubbing pleasant circles over the sensitive underside just past her palm.

"My father may have promoted me to become a wife, but I would much rather have a wife of my own. Might you be interested?" The coy head tilted and innocent batting of eyelashes furthered the miko's blush. A sparkle in those brown eyes almost bewitched her into agreeing, but the feeling of fingers caressing her bangs broke the spell with awkward giggles.

"If you are unwilling, then why be promoted?" Her voice trembled meekly as she tried to stay strong against this kind of opponent. It wasn't that she hadn't met a homosexual before, but this much pleasant attention was hard to ignore regardless of gender.

"Father is always right, you know?" With the sarcastic response, Michiko pulled away from Kagome. The black haired girl sighed in relief at the returned space between them.

"Well, then, thank you for your time. It was a pleasure to meet you." Kagome formally bowed as she moved to leave. Honey eyes watched in playfully as Sesshomaru followed after. The miko didn't need to check to know he was behind her. She just wanted to believe that he was.

Having to walk with such a tall man ended up more exhausting than Kagome had predicted. Don't misunderstand, the miko has been training for endurance since the moment the Shikon jewel shattered, but walking with Inuyasha all day or running laps around the village only helped the short girl so far. It felt like every three of his steps equaled to five of hers.

In all honesty, Kagome knew it was three to five because she had gotten bored enough to actually count them. Blue eyes glared at his legs the whole time that she did so.

It went on this way for hours as the odd pair headed north up the western coast. Finally, Kagome caved and ended the silence. "So, there are only four more left. Do you think there will be any winners amongst them?"

A subtle frown appeared as she watched him think about her question. Kagome watched as the shadow of a cloud softened the light over his painted face. Golden eyes turned to meet hers before the lord answered with his simple "hm". Those same eyes then rose to the skies and the frown became more pronounced.

Upon noticing this show of emotion, the miko looked to the sky and paused in her step. There, nestled amongst large, white clouds sat an ornate tiled roof. Kagome knew they were headed for the Palace of the Wind but she hadn't imagined it would be sky bound.

"Troublesome." Sesshomaru all but growled out.


	10. Drifting Among Clouds

Hello, I've been absent for a little while. After my dog passed it was hard to get inspired enough to continue work on this story. Working on this chapter in particular was pretty hard simply due to how much talking there is. Its focused on answers not action this time. I hope you enjoy it regardless. Thank you. ~Catclass

Chapter 10

The buildings hidden amongst clouds may have been a sight that very few mortals got to witness, but visible emotions on the lord's porcelain skin were even rarer. The miko would take in the sight of his frowns over some floating buildings any day. A soft blush covered her cheeks as she realized how silly her thoughts were getting.

Suddenly, the grumpy demon turned to her. Sesshomaru's face returned to that even familiar stoic mask as he came closer. A heart beat skipped as his large hand slipped around her waist and he pulled her small frame against his. There was a moment of memory to the last time he had grabbed her around the waist before the demon lord shot into the sky.

This time, Kagome managed not to scream in surprise but that did not keep her from grabbing onto his stone shoulder piece for dear life. She was pretty sure he could have let go and she would still be safely attached to his armor. This trip, unlike the fall from Chouko's tower, lasted longer and thus gave her some time to adjust to the incredible speed of Inuyasha's older brother.

That's when it hit her. Kagome wasn't just in love with Sesshomaru, but she was in love with Inuyasha's half-brother. How would Inuyasha respond? Would he even notice? Would he be angry at her or be hurt in some confusing, self-centered betrayal? Inuyasha was her best friend besides Sango, so this hit her hard.

"You've brought another human here, Sesshomaru?" A condoning, feminine voice pierced through her thoughts. Kagome returned to reality and found herself standing in front of a beautiful demoness sitting upon a throne.

White, silver hair and golden eyes told of her dog demon heritage, but the single crescent moon adorning her forehead told of his. This woman, with her pigtails and white fur adorning the muted purple kimono at collar and floor had to be no one other than Sesshomaru's own mother.

Kagome bowed; her black ponytail swinging to pile at the floor before slipping back to its place behind her head. "I am the miko Kagome. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"First human children and now a miko" A beautiful fan swayed casually in pale hands, softly blowing her white bangs. A subtle pout, very similar to her son's, adorned the flawless face as gold eyes studied the human before her. "Did the little human girl cease all of your hatred for humans?"

Silence fell between them as the stubborn lord refused to answer the teasing demoness. Kagome, in the meantime, thought back to Rin's description of her meeting with her adopted grandmother. The little girl was very generous in details of how warm and kind 'Lady Mother' was to her and Sesshomaru.

"Alas, your cousins have come to bother me due to your odd game. Go meet with them for tea." The fan snapped close as the lady pointed thoughtlessly with it to a distant room. White lashes lowered in judgement as she watched her son leave the floundering human.

"Still lacking the charm of your father, I see." She spoke to no one in particular. Familiar gold eyes met blue and a moment of silence passed between them. A gentle sigh from the lady showed that she too had not wanted this awkward situation.

"My son received the sword Bakusaiga, did he not?" Bored with her location, Lady Mother spoke over her shoulder in an indirect way to beckon Kagome into following her to another room.

The miko quickly joined her before answering, "I don't know for sure, but I think he keeps it at his palace." A silver eyebrow rose.

"Why would he do this?"

"My best guess is that he wants to become stronger without the need of a strong weapon." Kagome shrugged while taking a seat across from the demoness. The soft white cushions contrasted brightly against the stone floor. It looked a little odd to see this ornate woman sit on a simple cushion and sip from her ivory tea cup.

"Perhaps, my son can be quite odd." Kagome missed these words as she looked around the room. Somehow, tea cups had appeared with warm tea already poured in them. She hadn't seen any servants or magic, it simply was there the moment her eyes glanced down.

"Are there any questions you might have, miko?"

Said miko's head shot back up as her hands blindly reached for the innocent drink. "Um, well, I might." Her focus turned inward as the thoughts and questions piled together and raged like a huge thunderstorm. What could she ask?

"Is there not a problem with a dog demon mating a bird demon? Would they produce a normal child or a dog-bird hybrid?"

The lady laughed behind her fan causing Kagome to blush at her ignorance. "The child of two demons will inherit the species of the stronger parent. Even if Sesshomaru were to mate with a cat, he would father a dog. How many half-demons do you see that have the hair and eyes of a human?" Her small head bobbed in understanding.

White-silver hair swayed to the side as the elegant lady tilted her head, "Why would you need to know this?" Her eyes were both curious and calculating as her guest stammered.

"I, um, I am helping Sesshomaru pick a mate to produce and raise a strong heir for his western lands, my lady." Kagome started regretting the topic and worried at how much Sesshomaru might have wanted to keep private. There aren't a lot of guys that want their moms to know who they plan on sleeping with.

"Does Sesshomaru feel he needs help?"

"Yes, my lady."

"That hardly makes any sense. Why would a son of mine and Inu no Taisho's breeding need help from a human?" This hit Kagome a little harder than she thought it would. A small frown appeared as she admitted, "I don't know."

"Don't you?" It was aggravating to see the coy smirk on the demoness as if she knew something big. She seemed just as cold and confusing as her son.

"Do you hold it against Sesshomaru's father for having Inuyasha with a human woman?" It just slipped out. Kagome froze in terror as her own words dawned on her. A glance at her hostess showed subtle surprise in painted eyes.

"Inu no Taisho was unlike anyone I'd met before." Lady Mother turned her head to stare off into the distance. The miko shifted to get comfortable for the impending speech. "A dog is a dog. We do not have a single life partner for eternity. My loyalty to Inu no Taisho only happened because he was my favorite and all others fell short. That human that birthed Inuyasha was not his first human relations, though the only one to produce a child. He may have been my favorite but I wasn't his."

That atmosphere was calm and soothing in the private room. The topic seemed solemn, but the demoness held her cold yet careless demeanor. Kagome continued to listen while drinking her tea.

"Sesshomaru, the odd child, grew up seeing the lack of his father's loyalty to me and thought ill of him and the humans he would fancy. For my beloved to die for the child of said human was a loss unexpected but not surprising. Inu no Taisho would not be the demon I loved if he were to have let his own child be murdered." The ornate fan softly swayed to whisper sweet caresses of air against the flawless skin.

Kagome thought on her words amongst the comfortable silence. She was content with knowing that Sesshomaru's mother held little ill will towards Inu no Taisho, Inuyasha, or Izayoi. Both ladies sipped away at their tea while waiting for the other to speak. The miko gave in, "What is it like as the Lady of the West?"

Again, the demoness laughed. "It was a challenge to be seen as more than an ornament on the Lord's shoulder. However, once I obtained their proper respect my beloved could leave his lands under my rule without worry. Negotiations and paperwork became regular tasks all while raising Sesshomaru. Inu no Taisho abhorred sitting in one place for too long, so he made a garden for us to walk through while discussing business. Have you had the pleasure of the seeing the garden in the Western Palace?"

A distant memory of Kagome taking a break from her hundreds of scrolls caused a small smile to appear. "Yes, but I thought it was there for Rin's amusement." She knew the girl loved it dearly and talked about it as often as her lord.

"Is Rin the little human that Sesshomaru needed revived?" A dark brow furrowed at that word, but it relaxed as Kagome remembered how Rin had perished twice in her short existence.

"Probably, she's the only human child that's been attached to Sesshomaru that I know of." She shrugged off the thoughts that such a precious child had ever learned what it was like to die.

The warm tea had effectively lessened the chill of high altitude flight, but as she drank away its continents, Kagome noticed something strange. After the liquid reached a certain level in the cup, if she put it down for a moment and looked away she would find it filled once again. There were no servants in the room, the lady hadn't poured it, so who had? In fact, there wasn't even a kettle.

"Well, it pleases me that somebody there is showing the garden attention." Lady Mother drew out her statement with distraction as she watched the human from behind her fan. "Is something wrong?"

Her question went ignored as blue eyes desperately looked for clues to the great mystery. "Miko" She sung out in a teasing tone. It was enough to regain Kagome's attention; the girl bowed in apology.

"Please, call me Kagome." Sesshomaru had a very hard time calling her by name, but maybe his mother would switch to it more quickly than he.

"Does my son call you by name?" Gold eyes stared, flecks of light sparkled around black slits. They watched as the human shifted, again uneasy with the topic.

"Sometimes." Kagome tried to not seem meek but the soft blush and small smile escaped with the memories. The fan stopped moving and slowly slid closed.

"In demon culture, a title is one of the most important possessions one can have. A lord works hard to be called such; otherwise, he is just another demon. Those of equal status are socially acceptable to drop such honorifics and to drop them otherwise is a sign of disrespect. You do not call him by his title, do you?" The demoness tilted her head in accusation. Kagome's eyes widened and the blush turned pale.

"No, but I do not mean any disrespect!" The black ponytail swayed as the girl violently shook her head. "Sesshomaru has always been Inuyasha's elder half-brother, so the idea that he ruled any land meant little to me." Her eyes widened again. "No! Wait, that didn't come out right. Sesshomaru is Sesshomaru because he cannot be limited to such a… basic title."

Pale cheeks were puffed up and blushing while the miko still struggled on her defense. Giggling interrupted her raging thoughts, and then they turned into chuckles. The demoness was laughing at her and so she laughed too.

"Dear child, if you call lordship a 'basic title' then you are either foolish or have the highest regard for my son." Her warm smile relaxed Kagome, but it was as subtle as one would expect from Sesshomaru's mother. "However, I would wish for that regard as well. Kagome, was it? I would have you address me as Inukimi."

Long white sleeves shielded her bright smile as Kagome bowed more deeply than before. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Inukimi."

Cold eyes sparkled with joy as a nostalgic smile rested on flawless features. A thought dawned on the miko, "Oh! Is that why Sesshomaru wouldn't call me by name?" It was Kagome's turn to tilt her head in question. "Was it out of respect?"

"Alas, I could not say." Inukimi began, "Humans are as fleeting as cherry blossoms in respect to demons such as us. It is hard to isolate a single bloom from so many identical flowers. That is not to say that this is solely a human situation, for I have found lesser demons and simple animals also fall into the void of the forgotten. By recognizing your name, Kagome, the miko, you are a blossom that may not be forgotten."

The door slid open to reveal another lady of white canine attributes. "You are too kind, my lady. There is no need to explain so much to a weed." Blue eyes turned to glare at the rude brat, but instead fell on a demoness as beautiful as the lady herself.

"I shall talk as much as I like with what few guests I receive, child." She chided to the intruder in return.

In contrast to Inukimi, she wore stark white kimonos with bright red detailing. Familiar white fur lined the neck and base of her outer robe just as Sesshomaru's mother's did. Along rosy cheeks lay matching red stripes and painted lips.

Behind her peeked out an identically dressed sister clad in light blues. Her loose hair and large eyes gave the appearance of her being the younger sibling, but she couldn't have been born that much later. The same red stripes, gold eyes, and white hair gave away their familial connection.

"Good afternoon Lady Mother! We got bored with Lord Sesshomaru and decided to see his traveling companion." The younger of the two chirped. "Hi!" She shared a joyful smile of greetings with the miko before her vision was blocked off by an open fan.

The elder sister gracefully pulled her hand fan to coyly hide her lips. "Do not lower yourself to greeting humans. You embarrass this Yuuka." What joy the shorter sibling held slipped away into a small frown; gold eyes slipped to the floor.

It was hard to not feel as if the mere expression of emotions made you appear foolish in this company. It was hard, but the miko had accepted her foolishness years ago.

Kagome turned to glance at Inukimi and found the lady with her son's bored expression. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she realized this really was where he got his wide variety of expressions from. It was a good thing she could read them super well now.

Ok, so she couldn't read them all the time. Her form subtly deflated as his cryptic words regarding this and that hit her in waves. Did he like her or not? Kagome proudly raised her head to look back at the possible wives for the demon she loved to find them replaced by the man himself.

"Sesshomaru?" Black brows scrunched together in confusion as the girl frantically searched to see what else had changed while she got swept away in her thoughts.

Inukimi still sat perfectly upon her cushions; her metallic eyes lowered to the cup at her painted lips. The other two, Yuuka and Tamiko, had taken to cushions to her left with tea of their own. Where was this tea coming from?

Blue eyes drifted back to the demon lord who gracefully entered the room and sat to her right. "Kagome" Sesshomaru quietly grumbled, "You did not follow."

"You left me with your mother." Kagome stared back with quite the look. "You are lucky that Inukimi has been such a gracious hostess."

He blinked, speechless.

A loud gasp of diva proportion interrupted them as Yuuka stood in mock terror. "You insult Lord Sesshomaru, not once but twice, and then to insult Lady Mother as well! Are all humans so rude?"

Although all eyes were on the standing demoness, only Tamiko spoke. "Oh! Is Lady Mother named Inukimi? That's so pretty." She openly smiled to the older woman who nodded in return. Her elder sister frowned at her own sibling's thoughtless interruption.

To disallow any other rude remarks and accusations, Kagome physically turned her body to properly face both Inukimi and Sesshomaru. "It was not my intention to insult either of you; please let me know if there was anything I did so that I may learn for the future."

The lady chuckled behind her fan as the lord simply raised a single white brow. "There is no need for such serious words, Kagome." Inukimi comforted. "You needn't bother with the words of a pup refusing to accept her defeat."

"Defeat?" The miko echoed. "How is she defeated?" She turned her questioning gaze back to Sesshomaru in hopes he had her answer. He only met her eyes with a sidelong look and the smallest spark of something hidden beneath stoic exterior. So, he knew but he wasn't going to tell her. Kagome sighed in her own defeat.

"Come!" Commanded Inukimi; she reached a sleeve covered hand gracefully toward the girl. "You are spending the night, and dinner is soon upon us." Everyone moved to stand.

Seeing the invitation being extended only to the human, the red accented demoness huffed, "We shall retire to our rooms until then." Tamiko snagged on one of her blue layers while rising and almost fell back to the floor. Her sister merely sighed a practical "poor me" as she watched her blood relation.

Kagome glimpsed back to see the lord following behind them but after a moment he turned into a side room. Soon, the two sisters did the same and it was once again just Inukimi and her walking the enchanted stone floors of this castle in the sky. Many places were open walkways, which would have passed through gardens, but these passed over thick white clouds. The wind was constant but it wasn't violent in any way. It did, however, help give a magical feel to everyone who walked here.

The painted screen door of celestial maidens opened for them to reveal a room of kimono, armor, mirrors, and jars of paint that Kagome could only assume was the makeup of this era. Since there weren't name brand makeup stores yet, the face paints of this era came in all kinds of containers. The dark haired wolf sister, Rika, had had her make up in darling little clam shells.

In fact, that area is where the demoness had led her to sit. Before Kagome could speak another word, Inukimi started combing her long, black locks. "There are questions of my own to be answered. You shall do so as I groom you." She began, not needing the girl to speak to know to continue, "How did you meet Sesshomaru? Speak true words dear; dogs can smell even when words are not spoken."

Kagome watched his mother in the mirror as she moved gracefully behind her. "It was about four years ago when I had first started traveling with Inuyasha. I will never forget the surprise on his face when Sesshomaru showed up with a demon that held the appearance of Inuyasha's mother. It was all to find Tessaiga inside Inu no Taisho's body." Kagome paused. "Is it rude to ask how Tessaiga wound up there and inside Inuyasha's eye?"

A nostalgic smile crossed the lady's face, as she softly smiled. "It was my doing. We discussed such matters the moment the pup's mother became pregnant." There was a moment of unexpected laughter, startling the miko, as she remembered. "That woman was so stubborn; she couldn't be convinced that I would not hurt her child. However, is that all of how you met?"

"Well, inside the grave, I pulled out Tessaiga and that was the first time he tried to kill me. We ran into each other several times over the next few years, but it was mainly him immediately fighting with Inuyasha." Blue eyes lowered to her hands. "It's mine and Inuyasha's fault that he lost his arm."

"He attacked his own pack out of greed; Inu no Taisho would have done much worse to him had he been alive." After a hum of thought, she continued, "Well, perhaps not. My beloved would have laughed and said 'boys will be boys' or 'that's what he gets for bullying his little brother'." They laughed as the normally stoic woman purposefully acted like her deceased husband.

"Now, do you have family?"

How much can she say to this without flat out saying she lived in the future? Of course Inukimi noticed the hesitation, so Kagome told her the truth. "I have a mother, grandfather and little brother that live at a shrine, but I can't tell you too much about them for their safety. I also have a son in the village beside Inuyasha's forest." The pale hand paused.

"You have a son?" Inukimi's voice sounded melodic but it remained as subdued as her expressions. "Yes, his name is Shippo." Kagome happily replied. "He's a fox demon who was orphaned. I tried to think of him as a little brother for the longest time, but last year or so we made it official."

"Does Sesshomaru treat him well?" The comb moved for a couple more strokes through obsidian hair before moving to her bangs. Sharp claws silently trimmed the overgrown length to her brows.

"As well as he treats anyone, I suppose. He is patient with the children, though intimidating. Rin adores him and Shippo is pretty good at following her lead." Kagome was made to close her eyes as a little makeup was applied. In modern terms, she could feel the lipstick, eyeshadow, and eyeliner being painted on.

Inukimi stood to rummage through some kimono, while the miko looked at herself in the mirror. She was glad to not have to wear the amount of paint as some ladies of these eras or pluck out her eyebrows. Still, looking at herself with long, combed hair and makeup not much different from the demoness's felt odd.

Of course, she saw Kikyo in there, but that wasn't it. That insecurity was pushed to the side for this new feeling.

"Has my son shown any interest in the candidates so far?" Oh, that's what it was, guilt. Kagome thoughtlessly slipped on the kimonos as the feeling haunted her. "He has shown interest in a couple ladies."

Coming out from behind the screen, the human met eyes with the pleased demoness. Well, Inukimi was pleased until she saw Kagome wasn't. "What is it child?" She asked.

"You have been so kind to me but we are here to assess Lady Yuuka and Lady Tamiko for the position of your daughter-in-law." A quick darting of her eyes around the room and a regretful sigh signaled the girl's shaky courage. "I'm in love with your son and I really don't want to ruin the chances for any of the candidates due to my selfishness!" Kagome wasn't loud as she was rushed with her words in a bowed position.

"I know."

Freshly trimmed, feathery bangs fluttered as Kagome flung her head up to study the casual demoness. Again, the fan swept across her flawless face to hide the most uncontrollable of quiet laughter from her guest. "You know?" The darker haired girl echoed.

"Child, this is still a world where honorifics are only dropped by those who are the furthest apart or the closest together." Silver hair floated out of her field of vision as Inukimi attacked her head with the comb again; both frowning at the magical reappearing knots. "Wait, earlier, did you mean that she was already defeated because I didn't address him as a lord?"

"My memories have it that he addressed you by name as well." The clawed hand helped lead the girl out of the room and back down hall ways.

"He did? I told him not to, so that the candidates don't get the wrong idea." They stopped in front of a different door this time. Inukimi smirked as she eyed Kagome's appearance one more time, "This will correct any of those wrong ideas, child."


	11. Delicious and Bittersweet

Chapter 11

And there was silence. It wasn't that Kagome expected any compliments on her outfit or makeup but she had hoped for a nod or a blink from Sesshomaru. Anything to show he approved of her appearance would have been nice, but she found his attention stayed to his cup.

Her eyes wondered about the room in disappointment; her mood almost tainted the beauty of the painted, hanging scrolls and large, decorative fans. The tatami matting felt strangely more cushioned than most thus helping her gracefully and proudly take her spot next to the lord.

Inukimi took to her cushion at the head of the room; her fan hid whatever expression might have matched the mischievous glint in her golden eyes. Yuuka and Tamiko sat across from her guests with frowns as prominent as her sons.

To be fair, Tamiko, the darling little sister, greeted Kagome with a quick smile and a childish wave before returning to copy her elder sister. Said elder sister held quite the glare in the miko's direction for some time until Inukimi spoke.

"Children of my brother and child of my own, you have come here with thoughts of mating. Speak now of your requirements." His mother's delicate hand rose toward the two demonesses in a subtle signal.

"Yes, Lady Mother." The woman in red spoke, "This Yuuka is well learned, connected, and bred. There cannot be a mate any less than she. He would need to be surrounded with others that recognize his glorious status." A pointed look focused acidic words towards Kagome. "Of course, one cannot help those of which he is connected but hope for an inevitable cease of interactions."

Kagome met Yuuka's glare with a steady look of her own. Normally, the miko would have given that dog a piece of her mind then and there, but for Inukimi and Sesshomaru she managed to hold her tongue.

"Thank you, Yuuka." Inukimi politely interrupted the glaring match. "Sesshomaru, won't you speak?"

"This Sesshomaru" He began in a slow and measured voice, "would have a mate that is well learned, connected and bred. There are none greater than he, only those equal and less. She would be surrounded by those of all status, for business will need her hand in his absence."

In an unexpected gesture, the tall demon lord turned his head to Kagome. She felt a soft blush creep up in surprise as gold eyes quickly took in her appearance. "Is there more, miko?"

It took a moment of blinking as Kagome quickly thought over the many women that had been rejected. "Yes" She hesitated before continuing with a small nod, "my lord, there are two."

"Proceed." Sesshomaru ordered before returning to his proud, forward facing position. The dark haired beauty straightened her posture as well, meeting the prudish gaze of Yuuka.

"Lord Sesshomaru would have the mother present in raising his child. In his absence it would be up to her to make sure his heir is trained and educated in becoming the next Lord of the West." Admittedly, Kagome was really trying to sound as formal as possible considering he had switched to complete third person. Again, she restrained her tendencies for the sake of her hostess and lord.

"Secondly, Lord Sesshomaru has a human ward. She is still a child and lives in a village amongst humans, so it would be for the best if his heir did not inherit any prejudices." She finished.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru and Kagome." The esteemed mother repeated as custom. "Now, that the limits are set, let us dine while we think upon them."

The three ladies bowed to their hostess in gratitude, while the lord merely nodded. As Kagome rose up again, she found dark, little tables with bowls of rice, meats, and vegetables in front of each guest. At the edge furthest from her sat a pair of jade chopsticks. In fact, all the plating was jade she just hadn't realized it yet.

With a cautious bite, blue eyes glanced over to see if Sesshomaru was sitting bored and proper as he had before. It was a good thing she was already being so careful with those chopsticks because had she been any less careful they would have slipped from her hand. He was eating.

Mind you, Kagome was starving so eating was definitely a priority, but she couldn't help but sneak a few glances at his food while she did so. For example, he got a dish of sake with his meal. It was golden and glowing, but it was served in a dish for sake. And then, he didn't have rice or vegetables; there were just strips and chunks of meats neatly presented on several plates. Some looked cooked and others were most definitely raw. A small bowl for dipping his meats sat at the corner of his table and looked a little like spices mixed into dark blood.

A couple years ago, that would have really grossed her out, but instead her heavenly feasting only paused when a clawed hand slipped black hair back behind her ear. The miko hadn't even noticed it slip until he moved it. She offered a smile in gratitude and took his motion as permission to ask.

"What is that?" She whispered, so not to disturb the others. "Does it taste good?"

"Demon" He replied in an equally quiet tone, if only to appease her.

"Demon?" She echoed. After another bite of rice and pork had been swallowed Kagome asked again, "Does it taste good?"

"Hn" Sesshomaru tried to return to eating when she asked something that notably caught him by surprise.

"Can I try some?"

She looked so pretty and innocent as she blinked up at him with her big, blue eyes. At any other time Kagome wouldn't have asked, but the idea that he liked it and ate it was mind boggling. This was a rare moment that she just couldn't pass up.

He stared at her and she stared back. Though it went unnoticed, Inukimi was quite surprised to see her son give in to the human beside him.

"Demon flesh is endowed with its dark aura and soul. Humans are likely to be possessed by its essence." The lord quietly explained.

With a sip of tea, Kagome's resolve heightened. "What about miko's?" A moment of thought passed before she asked, "Would it just dissolve if I tried to purify it?"

The smallest of eyebrow twitches had the miko smiling in victory. She beamed as he placed a small, cooked piece on a cleared section of her plate. Now, to think.

Another moment went by as she continued eating her other food, all the while staring at the small chunk. Kagome was better at summoning her power through objects, so her steady gaze turned to the green chopsticks in hand. Slowly, she grabbed the meat between jade and started the terrifying process of adding the smallest amount of purification as she could. Her eyes slipped closed so that she could see the aura of the food before her.

Once she could see it, she knew exactly where to send her powers. The stressful deed suddenly seemed ridiculous as she slipped the meat into her mouth and finished the process as she chewed. It was delicious, and textured just as pork.

"It tastes really good. Do you want a piece of mine?" Sesshomaru just stared at her before picking off one of her meats. She watched him chew and swallow all the while thinking, "So he can eat 'human' food."

"I admit I've never seen a human eat demon before." Spoke Inukimi.

The miko tilted her head to better address her around the lord's armor, "I'm glad I could; it was delicious."

"We have thought on it and have decided." The loud voice of Yuuka interrupted. "If Lord Sesshomaru should be so willing as to give up all relations to the miko Kagome, then any human would be treated most kindly by Yuuka and Tamiko." The blue clad identical sibling slowly turned to her sister in a fine mixture of confusion and disbelief. No words had actually passed between them.

Kagome froze at the mention of her name, but guiltily knew that agreeing to such a deal would be for the best. After all, it wouldn't do her any good if the man she loved chose another woman to return to every night. It really was like Inuyasha all over again and she got to choose the Kikyo this time. Her breathing faltered and she felt the prick of tears.

The miko straightened and hid her devastation under a soft smile. She purposefully opened her eyes and lightly lifted her brows to finish the illusion of being ok. She did this once, so she can do it again.

"Hn." That was his response. Dark brows quickly fell in a light glare as the lord stood from his cushion and nodded to his mother. In her many layers, Kagome quickly followed suit.

She watched his back as they walked down the halls together and yet separate. Sesshomaru walked proudly a few steps ahead of her with long, light silver hair swaying from side to side. His mokomoko draped his right shoulder and the spiked armor adorned his left. Either of those sisters would have matched perfectly with his appearance.

"This night you have your own room to sleep." Sesshomaru paused to motion to a screen door, allowing her to enter before closing it behind her. And suddenly, they really were separate. Her hands slowly closed beneath sleeves she still hadn't noticed the color of. Her covered toes dragged across the floor to a seat before a vanity of sorts.

Her makeup and hair still looked perfect, but now she could take in the rest of the outfit reflected in the mirror. Red and white kimonos draped over her form while a bright yellow obi held fastened by a thin, braided rope. A tear slipped down her cheek from behind long black lashes adorned with a painted eyeshadow of matching purple. It was the silver crescent moon that sat innocently amongst the yellow and purple rope which reminded her of the reality.

She really wanted to be Kikyo this time.

In shame, tears falling without her desiring them to do so, Kagome stood back up to properly hang the borrowed kimono. These were the clothes of a lady of the demon court and she would never be that. Finding her miko garb she started to put it on, quietly sobbing. Wiping off her makeup, Kagome looked back at her reflection and saw how closely she resembled the dead priestess now.

It hadn't really bothered her all those times that Inuyasha had stared or had to double take to see that she was Kagome this last year. He would always be waiting for the woman he loved first. And Sesshomaru, who was he waiting for? Who did he want to see?

The miko closed her eyes and let her head fall back. She calmed as the colorful auras of the demons around her came into view much like nebulas in space. There was peace here in the pitch black, as she watched his colors dance only a few feet away. Another aura was coming close; there was a quiet knock on the door.

Her head shot up, as she squeaked out a, "yes?" just in time for Yuuka to slide open the door. She was holding a bag and as sure enough as the door was closed, the demoness had the bag empty on a table across the room. Jewelry and expensive metals glistened up at the surprised miko as she came closer to ask what this intrusion was about.

"About? Don't be daft." Yuuka replied, "You are to leave your lord a good word or just leave him." She just as quickly hurried to open and gaze out a window. The high altitude air quickly chilled Kagome's boiling anger.

"Do you think you can bribe me?" She almost growled at the carefree looking demoness.

"This Yuuka knows humans well enough to know you all have a price. Name it and it is yours." Suddenly in Kagome's eyes she looked just as beautiful as Bankotsu or Kagura and just as dangerous. She should have paid closer attention to that strange familiarity.

"There is nothing you have that could make me lie to him" Blue met gold, but the latter wasn't bothered.

"Very well."

A strong force crushed her human diaphragm as the demoness appeared at her side. Kagome's world started fading to black with the last of her sights being of white clouds amongst starry skies. She couldn't even scream for him.

"Lady Kagome!" Someone yelled while shaking her shoulder violently. "Lady Kagome!"

The miko opened her eyes to find herself lying across the back of Ah-Un and Jakken at her side. "Jah-k'n" She managed with a very sore chest. The loyal steed gracefully flew them up to main entrance with the large throne to land. "Ta' kyou."

She hugged the small imp against his will, although he didn't particularly not enjoy it. Kagome was quite distracted while nuzzling the two headed dragon and gushing over their speedy and heroic entrance to notice the arrival of both Inukimi and Sesshomaru.

"Oh? It is the little demon from last time, is it not?" The lady tilted her question to the ever silent son.

His tall and intimidating form towered over the three of them, four if you count heads. Ah-Un snorted in excitement to rejoin the lord, but his stern look had them tucking their heads beneath Kagome's with her hair as a shield. She tried to stay serious but the ears tickling her chin and the intense throbbing of her stomach left her with an awkward smile instead.

"My-my lord!" Jakken started. "I have returned, my lord!"

With a steady glare from the trembling miko to the short servant, he angrily demanded, "Explain."

"Yes, my lord! This humble" "Before he can speak further, I must insist on taking this inside. Your human is shivering." Inukimi teased.

Kagome glanced at her hands, frowning at the truth, and tried to crush it with resolve. She petted Ah-Un one last time before sending him away to curl up amongst the clouds. Without looking his way again, Kagome walked past Sesshomaru to join his mother. Her body hurt so much but she continued to walk forward with a smile.

Jakken hesitated with an open mouth as he turned his head to the seething lord and back to the disappearing ladies. Only when Sesshomaru turned to move inside did the toad's floundering stop. "Wait for me, my lord!"

Once inside with magically appearing tea, Kagome tried her best to rush the calming process that follows such a survival. She knew the drill; it was just hurrying it along that distracted her. A distraction is just what she wanted from the pissed looking demon lord that finally entered the room. He sat gracefully and quietly whereas Inuyasha would have huffed and puffed. Kagome refused to look at him and instead focused on her tea and pain.

"You had something to say, little demon?" Gold eyes watched Jakken enter the room and take his spot behind his lord.

"Yes, Lady Mother." He began in his squeaky voice, "This humble servant of the great Lord Sesshomaru was returning after a successful delivery when these large eyes spotted a familiar form of the miko. My lord and lady mother, she was falling unconscious through the clouds."

Two pairs of metallic eyes shifted to her calm form, neither missing the faltering breaths. Kagome knew they were looking at and judging her, so she simply continued sipping her tea. Her form had to be straight and rigid, because slouching only put more pressure on her wound.

"Ah-Un caught her in the nick of time and returned her to you." Jakken finished with a bow.

"There is quite the scent of tears on our Kagome, were you cold enough that she would jump?" The growl from the demon lord fiercely disagreed. "Then, perhaps a visitor?" Inukimi eyed the miko for every telling sign of the truth. "Perhaps, Yuuka visited and things turned ill?"

Kagome finally lifted her eyes to look the demoness head on. "It is my fault that she sees me as a threat. Regardless of my affections, I am only your son's matchmaker and there should not be any confusion for the contestants of my position." She was serious, but it really hurt to say it all. Even still, the miko drew in a shaky breath and continued, "It is my fault for allowing this poor girl to get the wrong idea, so please do not judge her for it."

The demoness sat up and flicked open her fan, "What is this 'wrong idea'?" As Kagome's eyes watched Inukimi, she saw her calculating, cold eyes drift to her son.

"It's wrong for them to think that I am a contestant." She replied with a confident breath. Behind the fan there was a small smirk, and the miko knew it was from what she saw of the lord. Quickly, so that she might not miss it, Kagome turned her gaze to look at the demon she'd been ignoring. But, she didn't understand; his head was turned away. What is there to smirk about with him just looking away?

"If you'll excuse me, I'm a bit tired." She moved to stand but the throbbing turned to a sharp sting. Seeing her pause in the middle of trying to get up, Jakken jumped to his feet to steady her arm as best as his smaller form could. Thanking him again, she quickly returned to her room for some ibuprofen.

To be honest, she had no real memory of carrying her bag anywhere past the original tea room. And yet it sat innocently enough in her room.

She gently lay on top of the futon and waited in silence for either the pills to kick in first or sleep to take her. To her dissatisfaction, the screen door slid open. Kagome was pretty much fine with just glaring at the intruder, until he glared back.

Red eyes and elongated fangs had the miko sitting up in surprise. Her arms immediately wrapped around her aching core at the sudden motion, but his first steps in had most of her attention. The last time this "inner beast" of his had appeared, she got quite the licking for her smell being tainted. After the emotional rollercoaster of today, Kagome really doubted that she could handle much more.

As frightening as he looked, this Sesshomaru calmly sat beside her. His dangerously clawed hand softly pushed her hair back behind her ear, before his other touched her arms.

"It hurts." She admitted in hopes he understood. His gaze focused on her arms as his hand carefully moved to draw them away. It wasn't forceful, thankfully, but she still didn't know what he meant to do.

When the demon started untying her hakama, she squeaked in protest and turned her body away from him. Kagome glared in disbelief and growled. It was silly that she would even try to reply with a little, shallow, human growl, but this Sesshomaru just wasn't as articulate. She really wanted to drive home the fact of her displeasure.

However, all she got was a head tilt.

In the moment she closed her eyes to sigh, Sesshomaru slipped a large hand to the base of her neck and pulled her head back. To have your head pulled back slowly in such a way can sometimes lead to your eyes closing and your lips parting. This was quite the case for Kagome as her eyes had barely any time to open in surprise before slipping back close again. It was hard but she opened them just enough to peak at the glowing red eyes.

Heat built in her cheeks as that pale demonic face rested itself in the crook of her neck. His hot breath caressed her neck and she simply couldn't think enough to stop him. This is how he untied her hakama and slipped it down to her waist. Kagome could only focus on his breath, his fangs, his lips just above her bare skin.

Suddenly, before she could take any more, the demon lowered his head to touch the wounded stomach. The bruising was much more obvious through the eyes of the lord, but she knew when he kept calm that there were no serious injuries to worry about. It was just a bruised belly.

With a large hand softly resting over her color changing navel, the terrifying mouth opened. "Killing would displease you?"

"Yes!" She panted, "Don't kill for this."

This Sesshomaru, who was also not Sesshomaru, looked at the door and stared at it in contemplation. His other hand still carefully held her head in place, so she could only think to grab his face and turn it toward her. Her grip wasn't hard, but it still caught him in surprise.

"Do not kill her, Sesshomaru." Kagome wouldn't beg, even in this submissive position. Red flickered to gold and the hand loosened. She sat up as the lord seemed to be figuring out what all had taken place. "Are you ok?"

He paused; her words had struck. The miko nibbled at her lower lip in embarrassment for sounding as breathy as she did. Chills crawled up her spine as his claws thoughtlessly trailed over the skin just below her bellybutton. If her blush and shallow breaths gave him any clues as to her own personal problems, surely he would have left. But something bothered him enough to continue staring at her stomach, at the forming bruises.

"Sesshomaru?" She tried.

"Humans are so fragile." He whispered in that deep voice.

"Wait" Kagome thought. She knew this look and those words. It reminded her of those times that Inuyasha had almost lost her and acted all guilty. The miko watched in disbelief until it slowly melted into a frown. Those stupid down cast golden eyes, even if they were colder, she knew that look.

"Stop sulking" It wasn't harsh as much as it was frustrated. Mind you, how often would someone be able to get away with claiming the great Lord of the West actually sulked? The man himself turned to her in his stoic form of disbelief.

"If you don't like what happened" Not that she was all too sure as to which part he disliked, "then try not to let it happen again." Kagome smiled and mentally thanked her mom for the life lesson. Sesshomaru, though, could not have known why she smiled and simply took it as a cue.

And he kissed her.

It was soft and lingering. She still hadn't enough time to fully register anything, let alone close her eyes. Soft pink lips were left parted and lightly frowning in confusion. Kagome could only watch in silence as the lord pulled away and moved to leave.

Then it hit. Butterflies swirled as if they were caught in a hurricane about to burst through her chest. Her heart beat so loud that the world around her could have exploded and she wouldn't have heard it. And her smile, Kagome's blue eyes teared up as the largest smile threatened to escape.

With an inquisitive hand coming up to touch the same lips that had received such a gift, the miko looked up to watch Sesshomaru pause in the doorway. Silver hair swayed out of the way to show a side-long look of honey.

"You did well, Kagome." He almost whispered before closing the door and leaving the girl to her thoughts.

With the morning sun, the miko stared out the same window she had been thrown from. She had slept, but her dreams had a strange habit of repeating last night with different scenarios. One was silly enough that Inuyasha and Inu no Taisho interrupted their kissing. Another wasn't so silly and caused deep red blushes with the slightest memory.

Kagome drifted in and out of thoughts throughout the rest of the morning. She became aware long enough to see the surprise on Yuuka's face, but she couldn't remember what happened to the demoness. Perhaps Inukimi gave her a few stern words regarding guests but it really wasn't noticeable. Then, Jakken came and she became aware to their leaving the Palace of the Wind due to the pain of climbing onto Ah-Un with such bruising. It was a good thing or else the miko would have missed giving Inukimi a proper heartfelt goodbye. And then finally, while flying away, it mildly dawned on her that she never did figure out the mystery behind the appearing tea and food.

Even though Sesshomaru had kissed her, Kagome knew that the next destination wasn't home. It wasn't to their wedding or to his bed. There were two names left on the list Keiko and Noriko. Two more ladies of the demon court who could give him the heir that he desired. After all, this human could only be his matchmaker.


	12. Of Dogs and Doppelgangers

Hey guys! I know you guys are just as tired as I am of this long adventure, but its coming to its inevitable end. Please join me for the last few chapters, but first, a question. Should I include an epilogue of timed passed or not? ~Catclass

Chapter 12

Ah-Un floated over thick canopy of a forest that Kagome recognized from her jewel shard years. That group of monk, demon slayer, half-demon, miko, cat and kit had had no reason to enter this area because no shards pulled them here, but close. There was a village barely a hand toss away, well at least from the height of the canopies where the draconic stead hovered.

Her gaze locked on said rooftops and steady smoke columns of a thriving town all the while remembering those days. However, with hardly a moment to reminisce, Ah-Un found a place to circle under and land. The miko's view of those days was lost behind branches and foliage.

It wasn't a palace as majestic as some of the places, but Kagome could hardly say it was just a home of feudal Japan. This building was well built around trees and with the trees, but not in the means that it simply had a lot of wood. A grand tree or two seemed to be a part of the structure itself. The green and yellow stained panels of what looked only to be for the doors of a main entrance sat prettily but hidden. This was a place of someone who simply preferred to not receive many visitors.

Even though Kagome slipped from Ah-Un to approach on foot, she paused and watched Sesshomaru stand oddly before the structure. He just stood there, waiting. So, she did just that as well.

The screen slowly slid open to reveal a female with lustrous brown hair and eyes. Her skin was not as pale as most but in a way that made her seem healthy. Her face markings of green started as any stripe would, traveling from her ear to beneath her eye, but ended in small hooks. Beyond that, perhaps she seemed completely human if her ears, fangs, and claws were ignored. As subtle as they were, it wasn't impossible.

Believe it or not but this was the retired Lady of the North. She had chosen to give away her position to the present wolf lord after many decades of ruling. This Daiyoukai of great power greeted them in a simple brown, knee length kimono and bare feet.

"Lord Sesshomaru" She spoke in a voice of honey, "I am surprised to see you have considered me. Welcome."

As they moved inside to sit more comfortably, Jakken did as he had a tendency to do and stayed with Ah-Un outside. This time, Kagome rather wanted to enter the strange building, regardless of her own inner turmoil.

In passing the demoness, brown met blue and small smiles were shared. "Hello, I am the Lady Noriko." She greeted.

"Hi." Kagome replied with her little wave and strong grin. "I am the miko Kagome and matchmaker to Lord Sesshomaru."

"Are you, indeed?" It was not a sneer but a genuine and pleasant surprise from the lady. "Well, then I hope to receive your approval, miko Kagome."

With this, they sat and talked. The great lord had little if nothing to say, but neither Noriko nor miko minded. It was all fairly small talk for an hour or so, before Kagome finally gave in to do her job.

"You retired from your position to live in this home, so why did you submit an application?" The miko had started.

"In truth, I want to be a mother." Noriko admitted, "I loved the North and her people, but as their lady I am untouchable." A sad gleam flickered across her auburn eyes as the hard decisions of her past haunted her still.

Kagome took a moment to assess the qualifications in her thoughts. Noriko would be able to produce and raise an heir of full demon heritage. She was educated and had many connections from her previous life as Lady of the North. With such previous experience, this candidate would be able to rule in Sesshomaru's stead without problem. Finally, the miko came upon the only thing left to really ask.

"Um, what are your views on humans?"

The demoness blinked at the odd question. "Humans are no different than demons in bravery or foolishness. They are a weaker species but only due to their short lifespans."

With a bow, Kagome thanked their hostess for her time. Sesshomaru watched on in silence, not having said a word this entire visit. In fact, she wondered if she had even heard his voice this morning at all.

Climbing back onto Ah-Un and wincing at her bruises, the miko waved farewell to the demoness. The whole group seemed pleased, ignoring one demon lord, that this visit went quickly. Once air bound however, she sighed. Jakken had his hands on the reins and his back to her, so Kagome felt she was allowed a moment of defeat. She knew it already, but she still had to document it.

Gathering herself up, the miko called out, "Yes or no!" The lord in front of her didn't even bother to turn his head when a whisper of "yes" met her ears. She would be sure to write it first thing once they landed.

"How many more troubling women must my lord meet?" The toad suddenly squawked while looking over his shoulder. "We've been running around for a near month now!"

"What!" Kagome gasped in her own mild panic before desperately digging into her bag. She grabbed her plans and checked the days herself. The poor paper was almost crushed when angrily shoved back into the big, yellow backpack. "Jakken, you jerk!" She yelled, "It's only been fifteen days. That's barely two weeks."

"Two weeks, too long." He grunted. "These women cannot begin to grasp my lord's greatness."

A sudden memory of hot breath warming her throat as a pale bottom lip teasingly slid over exposed flesh replayed in her mind. "Yeah, 'greatness'." Kagome mumbled, before swallowing. "Well, you'll be happy to know that there is only one more lady to meet and we should get there by night fall." If this pleased the toad, his grunting and mumbles sure didn't make it obvious.

And by night fall, they did arrive.

The miko had spent the commute vigorously studying. In the moments that her mind did waver, her thoughts either softly drifted to how he kissed her or slap her with the passion of his 'inner beast'. Kagome wondered why she never thought of Inuyasha in this "heated" way. Was it because she was still a young, high school girl when she loved him?

Seeing as she would see him tomorrow, the miko put a pin in that thought and took in the sights around her. Perhaps it was her impatience, but Kagome didn't find anything particularly special about this building. It was a large, gated house with wooden walk ways and koi ponds. Such a look was just above the look of most human noble's homes in this era. Pretty women glided here and there looking as a noble's daughter would, but their tasks marked them servants.

"Lord Sesshomaru." A deep voice called out. It belonged to an older dog demon with spiked armor and great puffs of black fur at his collar. The man stood as tall as Sesshomaru and looked twice his age. With a hard, etched frown the general gave a deep and formal bow. "Welcome to my home, my lord."

More silence from said demon lord, but the proud host rigidly showed them to a feast. "In honor of your visit, my lord." He said while motioning to an array of foods. "Please, eat."

Kagome wondered what her own dog demon would do when a slender, clawed hand plucked a piece of meat from the spread and put it on his plate. It was his own hand of course and though he did not eat much of it, he still ate parts of it. The host began eating as well, though still in such a way that Sesshomaru had the choice of picking the best pieces.

This was a feast for the men, she surmised. She had been served a small portion of rice with wooden chopsticks, but no other plates as they had. Perhaps she was wrong, but the host had not yet even looked her way. Kagome slowly chewed at the rice; it was good she had a snack earlier. That is, until Sesshomaru handed her his plate.

On one hand he was giving her his scraps, but on the other, he had sampled everything on the dish before giving to her. She bowed in thanks and smiled at his cryptic ways. "This man never explains anything, does he?" The miko thought while eating the better food.

That is when she felt the stone expression weigh on her soul. A glance up and Kagome found the general glaring at her. To be fair, with that constant angry look it was hard to tell if he was just staring or not. So Kagome stared back.

Many dog owners learn that prolonged eye contact is often seen as a challenge; Kagome was the proud owner of Buyo, the cat.

"My lord is most kind to servants." The old man huffed; his eyes squinted further into a glare. "My beautiful daughter appreciates such kindness."

The door slid open to a black haired demoness dressed in formal, red kimono with black fur at the collar just as her father's. "Please, excuse my lateness." She offered before bowing and entering. It was when she sat across from Kagome did the two of them come to an interesting discovery; they were nearly identical.

Keiko did hold the basic of demon attributes: pointed ears, fangs, claws but everything else was eerily similar. The length of her long black hair appeared longer only because it was braided and Kagome's sat in a high ponytail. Their bangs fell the same way around the same round faces, though one held thin blue stripes over her cheekbones. The demoness's lips were painted red to match her clothes while the miko's remained naturally pink. Perhaps, if they were to stand in the sun, Noriko would have paler skin and lighter blue eyes, but inside they appeared close enough to be the same.

With a subtle cough from the host, the young woman snapped out of her astonishment. "Welcome, my lord." She pleasantly greeted with a cheery smile. "It is an honor that you have chosen to consider me. Please, if there is any business then let us speak of it in the morning." Of course the last part seem oddly directed to her own father.

Sesshomaru still never spoke a word while the general sang praises of his little girl. Even Kagome remained silent as she continued eating in his stead. The demonic doppelganger was not as well connected as Noriko or Yuuka, but he boasted of her kindness and ability to earn the respect of everyone. Keiko's father wasn't quite as proud to admit that he let his daughter practice medicine on the sick or injured humans of a nearby village, but he had worked himself up in a need to prove her purity.

The demoness said little while eating with the occasional glance between the miko and lord. And really that's all there was of dinner. Father and daughter bid their lord good night as servants showed them to a room.

Kagome placed her bag near the short table with a candle and pulled out her records as she had done before. As she marked a yes next to Noriko, she wondered how Sesshomaru felt about all this. Looking at him though, her voice simply stopped in her throat.

He wasn't across the room or sitting against a wall; the lord was right beside her. Golden eyes reading the same scroll as she was.

"Sesshomaru?" She quietly asked, "Why?" There were a lot of "whys" that suddenly plagued her thoughts, but each one failed to come out. Why was she picked as matchmaker? Why did he consider her pack? Why did he flirt with her? Why did he kiss her? In a motion not like the lord and yet very Sesshomaru, his response was to sigh and slowly meet her eyes. In a gentle move, he tucked the hair behind her ear before moving to sleep against a wall.

"Oh."

Kagome wasn't that clueless; she could get the general idea about half the things he said or did. So, he liked her. Maybe it was love or maybe not, but the miko smiled because at least the cold and stoic Lord of the West liked "her".

When it came time for her to pack her things and lie down for the night, blue eyes stared into the darkness for about an hour. A young Kagome from two or three years back would have told him to follow his heart and everything would work out. And yet, somehow it was different when it involved her. The advice felt too self-serving to offer. Before slipping into nostalgic dreams, the miko reached a level of empathy for the demon lord. Sesshomaru was choosing an heir for his people over his own affections, and she would support him.

Morning came slowly; it was the last day before they returned to the West. With black hair tied into her usual ponytail and Sesshomaru naturally pristine, the two went to meet the Keiko and her father one last time. Kagome led them to the meeting room and greeted their hosts appropriately.

It was as if neither of the black dog demons had moved from the previous night, but such a silly thought was improbable. The miko sat tall across from her demonic reflection. "Good morning. I am Kagome, the lord's matchmaker." She started, watching the general shift in disguised surprise. "Do you mind answering some questions, Lady Keiko?"

"Not at all." The sweet voiced demoness cooed. "Please, ask."

"Do you want kids?"

"Of course, she does." Interrupted her father with his glare, extra squinty and frown prominent. Both pairs of blue glanced his way before returning to each other.

"I do."

"Do you have any ill feelings towards humans?" A scoff from the old man caused yet another pause.

"I do not."

"Would raising a human child trouble you?" Not everybody needed to know about Rin; it just wasn't safe.

"What kind of question is that?" The older demon grumbled while noisily sipping his beverage. "Why would the Lady of the West need to deal with a human brat?"

"It should not. A child is a child, after all." Keiko kept to Kagome's idea of letting the dog bark.

"Your father said you were educated. Do you think you are?"

"I do, but I am willing to learn anything that my knowledge may fall short on." With a nod, the miko showed that her questions were done. Both women shared gratitude for hospitality and being considered before Sesshomaru moved to leave.

Jakken and Ah-Un were called for as the troop inwardly celebrated the end of these travels. Kagome was just situating on the draconic steed when Keiko called out. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She quickly glided up to the demon in question before bowing deeply. Her dark braid slipped over the red clad shoulder as she moved to stand. "Thank you for coming and I hope to see you again." The demoness smiled prettily with a soft blush adorning her cheeks.

"Hn." He replied with a modest nod. She took it kindly and smiled all the more. Keiko was a "yes" Kagome decided. They would see her again very soon, but human eyes couldn't help but stare as Ah-Un took to the skies. She vaguely wondered if she had become Kikyo, the first love, and that was her, Kagome. It tasted bitter for a thought, so she quickly let it pass.

The flight back to the Palace of the West took forever. Studying on the two headed dragon barely helped distract the miko and her records were updated within five minutes. Then, when she was about to jump from boredom, Kagome spotted the familiar roof tops. Even Jakken sighed in relief at seeing his home.

During the descent a red blur bounced from a window and swept the miko into a fierce mid-air hug. "Inuyasha!" She cried out in joy, while the toad scoffed. They all landed, some more gracefully than others, but the miko stayed bound by the scruffy half-demon.

"You sure took your time out there!" Complained Inuyasha to the annoyed lord, "Leaving me with all that paper work, you cruel bastard."

Kagome giggled, but struggled to escape. "Inuyasha, let me go already. I need a good shower."

"Keh! Fine." He huffed, letting her properly turn to see him. "But, after that, you better tell about your trip. I gotta make sure the prick didn't do anything to ya."

Sesshomaru tilted his head with a smirk, "This Sesshomaru has not done anything you haven't to the miko." With that, he walked away. Kagome stifled a burst of laughter as the younger brother called out, "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

She would have paused and listened to the masculine voice that hadn't been used for so long, but a glance at red stopped her. Inuyasha wore armor and his hair was tied up. When he noticed her looking, Inuyasha scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "They said I didn't look much like a lord." He reluctantly explain, "They've been touching my hair too. Gotta wonder if I look like him, ya know?"

Kagome smiled and knew. Sesshomaru would always look more like Inu noTaisho as a full demon with light silver hair and facial markings, but Myouga had spoken of the similarities of Inuyasha and his father. The grey-silver strands caught the soft breeze and blew more freely now that they were combed and put into a high ponytail. They both shared that particular hairstyle now, though with different reasons.

"Well, go on and bath!" He huffed and swatted her along.

As she entered the building with her yellow bag, a female servant rushed past. "Lord Inuyasha! Lord Sesshomaru has returned!" She called out. Kagome paused and watched the scene over her shoulder.

"Yeah, just saw the bastard." He replied to the panting demoness as she bent over to catch her breath.

"Will-will you be staying another night?" The poor girl gasped, finally evening out her breaths.

"Will I be 'staying'?" He echoed as if it was obvious he'd leave as soon as possible. That grey ponytail danced as he scoffed at the stupid question; he almost laughed.

"You're staying." She demanded, "One more night at least." Even from this distance Kagome saw quite the stubborn look.

"I'm staying." Inuyasha sighed in defeat; his little ears flattened atop his head. A smiled pulled at the side of Kagome's lips at the scene. The servant girl was sure happy and beamed victorious. "Perhaps, it should be a short bath this time." She thought while walking inside.


	13. The Day of Rest and Arrival

Chapter 13

A bath can be the most relaxing thing in the world or the most troublesome. Right now, Kagome rushed to scrub the long hair that had surely grown even longer during this sixteen day trip. Although it may not have been entirely accurate, she sure felt its length now. The miko had regularly kept it trimmed with every trip to modern Tokyo, not wanting it to get in her way while battling Naraku. But, that was then.

Scrubbing over her bruised stomach and scarred arm, she wondered how much she could tell Inuyasha. What would send him off to attack his brother, the danger or the romance? No, she couldn't speak of the romance with demonic ears listening about, but the failings to protect her, his subject, would also spread like wildfire. Kagome scrubbed harder.

Even after the unpleasant, speedy bath, the miko couldn't find the half demon anywhere. She moved her belongs back into the room that she had stayed at the beginning and wondered around the old palace in search of him. Servants greeted her with bows and "My lady" but quickly hurried on to their jobs.

Kagome found herself in the part of the palace that she had not even tried to venture before. It was an enclosed Main Hall with the typical throne standing proudly at the end of a stone floor. Large scrolls hung down parts of the walls; they showed white dogs tearing apart enemy or howling to moon. One portrayed a limp serpentine dragon hanging within the jaws of said white dog.

Next to it hung the last scroll before the throne. The scene showed that same dog amongst clouds while another stood proud on the cliff below. Painted in black ink Kagome leaned in close to read the old writing. She wasn't sure, but it might have said, "Proud ascension."

"Weird thing, to go from knowing nothing about the old man to seeing paintings of him everywhere." Inuyasha calmly commented with his arms casually crossed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome jumped in surprise. He had stood behind her to see what she was looking at.

"What'cha yelling for? I'm right here woman." His bitter response was forgiven due to the poor sensitive dog ears. "Want to see him?"

"What?" She blinked.

"You know. Do you want to see the 'not dog' him?" Golden eyes sparkled with the excitement of being able to show her something new, but he still acted bashful about it. "There's more paintings hidden around the place."

The miko grabbed his hand and smiled, "I'd love to see them, Inuyasha. By the way, Inu no Taisho was his title, right? So, what was his name?"

"Keh, hell if I know."

Together, the two walked around in search of those hidden paintings. Of course, many of them portrayed the old lord in a vague and mysterious way that hid his features. Although a little childish, they started a small game to guess if he had features more like Sesshomaru or Inuyasha. Mind you, both of them had seen a visage of him for a short moment back during the So'unga incident, but neither really could recall details of his face anymore.

"You think his brows are all thin and girly like Sesshomaru's?" Inuyasha asked as they left another vague painting.

"Nah, they probably looked more like yours if not bushier." Kagome giggled, "You remember Jotsu's eyebrows?"

"The farmer with the kid?"

"Yeah. Those super manly brows." They laughed as the old villager did have quite the sizeable brow.

They stood in front another one which barely showed the side of Inu no Taisho's face, but it did portray his single, indigo stripe. And that hit Inuyasha in an odd way, "I had a stripe when I lost control of my demon blood right? Do you think it looked like his?"

Kagome paused as she thought back to the not so great memories, including her rough first kiss. "I think it didn't look as thick as his, like Sesshomaru's mother's stripe instead."

"Sesshomaru has a mother?" The half demon asked in part shock and part sarcasm. "Don't tell me I look like 'his' mother! That's just weird." With a punch to his arm, the miko walked on, laughing.

"Wait." Inuyasha grabbed her arm at the scar and she froze instantly. "There's one in here I saw."

Kagome quickly figured out that he planned to drag her into Sesshomaru's office or whatever they would call such a room in this time. For now, she would call it his office and offices were private. "Inuyasha, we shouldn't go in there." She whispered to not draw any attention. It was too late; they were inside and so was the lord.

The miko looked away as her cheeks reddened at his eye contact. Sesshomaru, however, took his time staring at the two intruders and the familiar grip his little brother had on the girl. The hand that held a poised brush made no movement as the miko got dragged further inside.

"I think it was over here." It was like Inuyasha complete ignored the owner's presence. That is, until he randomly asked, "Oh yeah, do you know dad's name?" TINK! The ink jar shattered and black ink poured over silver hair and red fabric.

"To think you've walked this world for two hundred years and not once thought to ask for your father's name?" Sesshomaru stood from his seat, livid. "Disgraceful."

"I didn't ask my mom cause it bothered her and you weren't there, so fuck off." The hanyou replied more or less calmly but he positioned himself for a fight.

"Wait, you're two hundred?" Chirped the forgotten miko, "I thought you were like seventy and that's with your fifty year nap."

"Keh that bastard over there is probably pushing a thousand. Look close and you might find wrinkles." He sneered until a good right hook knocked him through the door. "What was that for, you prick?" Inuyasha yelled from the hall way floor.

Said prick now stood beside the miko who merely watched in amusement, "He's five hundred and sixty-five." Kagome easily recalled. "Right?" Amongst the familial bonding she forgot those moments with the man in front of her, those sweet and heated moments.

The baritone hum of approval distracted her from the sneaky claw. It looked as if the lord simply plucked the hair tie from her head but his claws were just that sharp. A wall of black poured across her back as the dark screen fell well past her rear. She glared in disbelief to its length.

"Does it look longer to you?" She outwardly wondered to either the brother climbing out of door fragments or the one barely an arm's length away. They both looked. One commented, "Its hair, Kagome. It grows." And the other simply hummed his way out of a proper response.

"Well yeah, but no, guys!" She huffed, "Humans don't normally grow a full hand length of hair in two weeks. Two months maybe, but not two weeks. Maybe it's because Asase Yaa… never mind." The miko lowered her gaze to the floor at the slip up.

"A saucy yeah?" Inuyasha sarcastically questioned.

"Inuyasha" Blue eye twinkled with a dangerous look, "sit." He froze, hunkered in a position of panic and waited for the dragging to come. Even Sesshomaru looked mildly amused as the spell never happened. "Just kidding." Kagome giggled innocently as the poor hanyou remembered the beads were gone.

"What business had you interrupting this Sesshomaru's work?" She didn't miss the casual movement of her broken, elastic ponytail holder disappearing into his sleeve. But, if he was going to keep it then Kagome could forgive him.

"We were looking for a picture of Inu no Taisho." She replied.

"For what purpose?"

"Um" She started but Inuyasha pitched in, "You don't have to tell him anything Kagome." To a degree, he was right. The raven haired woman didn't need to explain herself, but she also wanted to see that painting. "I want to know your family, Sesshomaru. We're pack after all, right?"

While the hanyou suffered a fit of confusion and questions, the lord suffered in his own way. She saw it in the mild brow lift and glance to the side. Of course, one could not cover his reaction with another 'hn' and function accordingly.

"Kagome is your pack?" Inuyasha managed to ask. A pained sigh came from Sesshomaru as he skimmed over old scrolls.

"As unfortunate as it is, we are brothers" "Half brothers" "and though it was assumed you would mate your alpha female and bring her into this Sesshomaru's pack, you didn't." Then he stopped speaking. Both Kagome and Inuyasha were waiting impatiently for him to continue, but the lord took his time to pull out the correct scroll. The miko vaguely wondered if it still had the hanyou's smell on it from his first discovery.

"So you went ahead and just made her pack?" Tried Inuyasha; he guessed correct. "What was that about 'alpha female' and how do you just make someone pack?"

Gold eyes stared as he handed the scroll to delicate, human hands. She could tell he was uncomfortable saying all this and wondered if it was usually taught to kids. Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the demon lesson for Shippo. If he had only 99% of her focus before, then it was surely completely locked on him now.

"Who told you where to go?" Sesshomaru leisurely returned to the short table to sit. He looked much more like a busy lord from behind it, with all that paperwork. "Who made sure the group was fed and rested?"The miko inwardly smacked herself for getting distracted so easily, but she really did like seeing him at a table. He could be approached there; he wasn't as tall and intimidating. "Who wrapped your injuries, little brother? If one does all this then surely they hold a level of importance to the group. That is alpha. This Sesshomaru is alpha; this Sesshomaru is her alpha."

A quick shared look had Kagome in a tizzy of emotions. He had said that he was her "alpha dog now" but this felt less playful; it was downright possessive. On one hand she thought "who does he think he is?" but on the other, "he really wants me." It was like, in that moment of their eyes meeting, he was telling her how important she was. All these different thoughts and feelings didn't help rid her cheeks of the pink tinge. How could anyone have this effect?

"She don't belong to anybody." Inuyasha made his own interpretation, but definitely pouted at his brother's claims on his Kagome. Said miko stayed silent while trying to turn his words back into something she could teach Shippo, but the weight of the scroll reminded her of their original intrusion.

"She is under the protection of our 'family', is she not?" The word family did not slip out without a good deal of effort from Sesshomaru. It seemed only Inuyasha could really get the quiet lord to argue and his patience was already worn thin. Kagome, the object of this spat, opened the scroll and walked away.

"Damn straight!" The hanyou barked, "Wait, no! She's under 'my' protection; not yours, you selfish prick. Go find your own damn miko." Of course she could still hear Inuyasha down the hall as she stared at the detailed painting. Something Sesshomaru said led to another fist fight between the two. The half demon's yell and more crashes alerted her of this, but it was almost a normal interaction now.

Perhaps it wasn't permitted for her to just leave with this scroll, but Kagome found herself chewing on some rice as it stretched across her own table. It was indeed a picture of Inu no Taisho in his humanoid form, but also Inukimi and Sesshomaru as well.

Upon tan paper, white robes and fur mingled in a family portrait. Lord and lady stood next to each other as the young Sesshomaru stood in front. This was the face she saw with So'unga and this was the face she saw at the Palace of the Wind. And this, this small scowling face was the face of her lord. Kagome smiled, pleased.

At some point, amongst her staring, the miko started to drift off. Rolling the scroll up, she pulled out her letters of invitation from the yellow bag. "Jakken!" Kagome called out with her head barely sticking out of her quarters. "Jakken, you there?"

Little tapping noises along wood floor told her of his haste down whatever hallway he came from. "Yes, my lady?" He croaked, but happy to be of use.

She bent down and handed him the small, rolled letters of fresh, bright paper. "These are to be sent to the corresponding contestants." Then, she carefully gave him the larger, old scroll. "And this needs to be returned to Sesshomaru. Ok?"

He bowed and nearly jumped with urgency, "Right away, my lady! Right away!" His little form ran back down the halls and quickly vanished around a corner. Watching him disappear, Kagome dragged her tired form into bed. She had no problem sleeping that night.

The next day, the trained miko rose with the sun. She had her morning tea and went back over the plans for the next day. There were to be two tests of sorts: a match and a questionnaire. A couple hours passed noon before she headed down to a place that resembled military barracks. Sesshomaru's soldiers were a sight to see while busy in their vigorous training, but the miko had some business to take care of. She needed to find either the general or first lieutenant or whoever it was that would give her permission to use a couple of the troops.

There, one soldier saluted to a taller demon. There were no obvious features suggesting a species but he looked like he was probably mammal. Sharp, angry brows and a pointed nose turned her way as he caught her looking.

"Is there a reason a human priestess is here amongst the lord's soldiers?" His voice was deeper and gruffer than Sesshomaru's, but she figured that came with the large, masculine chest.

"Yes, I am Sesshomaru's…" What was she supposed to tell the general public? "I'm helping Sesshomaru with a very important errand and I was wondering if I might have the assistance of five of your men tomorrow afternoon?"

After a moment of uncomfortable staring, the demon laughed at her. It was much harsher than a genuine laugh so she recognized the insult. "Why in all hell do you think I'd waste good men on you?" He snarled with fangs and lengthening claws.

Taken aback, Kagome stepped forward in an offensive gesture. "It is for Lord Sesshomaru." Her simple miko garb of red and white contrasted against his detailed, bone armor and colorful kimono sleeves. Its colors of blue and yellow gave a more joyful look than the one's he sent Kagome's way.

"And what would you have these five men do, human?" He spoke with more vicious sarcasm and minor signals of an impending attack. She ignored them; he wasn't going to scare her.

"I would have them fight the five ladies that will be arriving this afternoon." More laughter interrupted her words, "Without the intent to brutally maim or kill them, of course." Another look down his nose in judgment; he did not like her.

"Of course!" He cackled. Men around them chuckled as well, but the miko doubted they knew what was even being discussed. "Well boys!" The tall demon called out to the sweating trainees, "Who wants to fight some 'ladies'?" The court erupted into laughter and cheers, hoots and whistles.

Kagome grit her teeth in frustration and ran a small hand through trimmed bangs. Another step forward and she was on the man. Her fierce glare leveled on the demon and caused him to halt his chortles. "Mock me all you want, but unless you want to serve a weak, little princess I'd suggest you send five men over to me tomorrow afternoon." With that she spun away and started to leave. Kagome would have stomped out of there if she had been any madder.

"Human, defend yourself!" That deep voice warned from behind as the feeling of an attacking demon caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. While turning around, a pink barrier came up to repel glowing claws. He had attacked her after all.

The seasoned warrior sent a dangerous smile as he slowly stalked around her bubble. Kagome calmly watched him with her own little human glare. He moved to attack her barrier but she lifted it in time to catch him off balance. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but she pulsed her energy through white palms and sent the large form tumbling past.

A smooth turn and she was ready to deflect another of his attacks. Training with Shippo prepared her for basic attacks like this. It wasn't about blocking him; it was about shifting the attack away from his target. A demon like this would snap her arms if she just grabbed his fist.

Again and again, he swiped and she parried. Kagome would get in a blow to his stomach and he a rip in her sleeve. Faster and faster came the attacks. The miko stepped back more and more until she felt like all she did was retreat or stay her ground. Angry, Kagome stepped forward with more force. She pushed harder and soon he stepped back. A larger burst from her palm sent him airborne.

Just before he crashed into the ground, large wings sprouted and his form took to the skies. A swoop past her could have meant some serious trouble if she hadn't rolled out of the way in time. The whistling of his huge wings slicing through the longer blades of grass warned her of a new danger. Again, he rose to dive at her glowing form and again she just barely rolled in time. The sound of a carriage arriving and the laughing of a familiar female stole her attention. The first guest had already arrived.

Kagome turned in time to see the bird demon diving down for another attack and felt her stress turn to power. "Enough!" She yelled with her hands outstretched before her. In slow motion she watched his form race down; the brown feathers started glowing pink. Blue eyes refused to close as her barrier protected her and stopped him. That is to say, the barrier held the demonic warrior captive in mid air. There was little he could do but struggle under the holy spell.

Haruka spotted the familiar red and white human and merrily walked over. The miko put down the bird demon and released his binds. "Welcome Lady Haruka!" She smiled while turning to face the new guest. "You seem to be the first to arrive today. Would you like me to show you to your room?"

"Are you indisposed?" The golden haired fox teased amongst a melody of laughs and giggles. Kagome did look a little out of sorts after rolling through freshly cut grass and getting new rips in her uniform.

"It's no biggy. Is Jakken taking your luggage in?" She moved to usher the woman inside and away from the battle scene.

With Haruka chattering thoughtlessly to the miko behind her, Kagome turned to look at the demon crouching in the grass. The wings were gone but his claws were poised for striking. In a blink he lunged and she summoned. A pink bubble inflated over his head and knocked him face first into the ground. It popped, he glared, and she smiled, "Five men, tomorrow afternoon."

"Miko?" The fox called from a few steps ahead. The warrior laughed as he watched the victorious human jog away. Kagome released a deep sigh of relief when she heard it, but followed on as if nothing happened at all.

She had not expected the guests to start arriving this early in the afternoon, but once Haruka came, so did the others. Kagome barely managed time to change her top and comb her hair before Keiko showed up in her own fancy carriage.

"Welcome Lady Keiko." She hustled over and bowed. "Jakken and these men shall unpack your luggage. Would you like me to show you to your room?" A new ponytail holder effectively contained the dark mass swaying behind her.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Matchmaker." The dog demoness and identical doppelganger smiled charmingly before gliding into the palace.

Then, there came more hustling and bowing as the next lady dismounted her horse. "Welcome Lady Noriko." This time the bear Daiyoukai wore a formal yellow and brown ensemble with jewelry and the alike.

"Good afternoon, Priestess." She replied. Her bountiful brown hair framed tan skin and almond eyes. She too became swept away into the palace by Kagome and company just as the others had.

Hina made the next appearance, an hour later. She soared over the palace on a cloud of inferno; her flowing orange and red kimono sleeves blew majestically past her golden wings. They only unfurled for a graceful decent before the miko; many servants stopped to behold their beauty. Even that one warrior walked into the yard, if only to lean coolly against the wall in his snooping. The miko stared at him before rolling her eyes.

Oceana casually came in carriage just before sunset. While the others wore more luxurious outfits to this event, she didn't. The blue dragoness arrived in her aqua sari and dripped in gold no more and no less than she had previously. She did, however, greet Kagome with the most fondness. After all, Oceana came because she felt duty bound, not to be favored by the lord.

Dinner soon came around and the miko found herself running down the open hallways in the dark. There were torches and candles to help light portions of the wooden walkways, but with so many new guests the servants just hadn't had the free time. Kagome slid around the corner and found it clear of debris. The door looked completely new as well, so she tested it by knocking. "Sesshomaru, are you there?"

"Enter." His flat tone gave the illusion of boredom, but she liked to believe he was happy to see her.

"Sesshomaru!" The priestess complained as she crumbled to her knees before his table. It took a moment of heavy breathing before she could even lift her head again. She leaned onto the table with her forearms to insure his attention. Slowly the lord lifted his gaze as black hair started to brush over his work.

Perhaps she looked provocative with heavy pants and half-lidded, blue eyes. Once he finally looked at her, Kagome allowed her head to roll to the side in a lazy manner. Perhaps, she knew his eyes trailed along the naked flesh of her neck and heaving chest, but damn was she tired.

"Sesshomaru" She started again, "Why aren't you at dinner?" Still on her knees, the miko stretched her stiff arched back like a cat before trying to stifle a yawn. Her heavy lids slowly blinked as the lord rose a single brow before answering, "This Sesshomaru has work to do, miko."

"But I want you there; I mean 'they' want you there." Slowly the top half her body slumped into a more comfortable position while propped on the table. Kagome had to look up at him.

"Do you want me there?" He smirked at the drifting girl.

Even with eyes finally closed, Kagome smiled and drowsily exclaimed, "You said 'me'!" Followed by the mumblings of, "'course I want you there" and "or I could stay here." She felt the soft caress of his hand against her cheek and a soft hum escaped her throat.

Blue eyes shot open, hands rushed to slap at her cheeks. "I can't sleep now!" Suddenly awake, the miko grabbed the lord's outstretched hand and urgently started trying to drag him up, "Come on Sesshomaru! We gotta go." Thankfully, he complied.

The proud demon let her hold his hand and drag him all the way to the dinner room. Kagome opened the door and used it to pull him inside. "Lord Sesshomaru has arrived." She announced with fake energy before allowing him to take his seat as host.

The women stayed seated but bowed towards him in a chorus of welcomes. Six women sat before him, three on each side while facing each other. Kagome, of course, sat at the position closest to his left. Seven trays of food sat before each of them, though a feast covered the floor on two short but long tables.

Nobody touched the food until Kagome realized they expected some kind of speech. Thinking on the go, she started, "Welcome again, guests of my lord. Thank you for coming." Blue eyes traveled over the different women that stared back at her.

"You are here for the chance of mating Lord Sesshomaru and earning the title Lady of the West. If you have any questions during your stay, I would be happy to assist you in any way I can." The miko paused in thought, "Tonight, you should all rest and think, not on him, but on yourself. Tomorrow you shall each be given a survey, a scroll, to fill out and return to me. Then, after lunch, if luck will have it, you shall each spar to prove you are capable of protecting yourself and your future child."

As the last three words escaped her lips, reality gripped tightly at her throat. It looked like a dramatic pause, but Kagome could hardly breathe. No words came out and her dark brows furrowed.

"With the following day there will be a victor." Finished Sesshomaru. The two shared a look that nobody there could interpret. She hurt; he knew. They did not know and could not fathom.

A quick feminine cheer signaled the beginning of the feast. Hands as pale as snow, as tan as sand, and as blue as the sky picked at the demonic meats on display before them. The dishes were prepared especially for small bite sized pieces in case the ladies felt it undesirable to have a mouth full of food. This was another one of the things Kagome had somehow managed to do, plan a demonic feast.

Many compliments on the food were passed along, but over all nobody talked to the miko. She slowly just looked too tired for much conversation. Haruka had no qualms loudly gossiping and meeting the other girls. Keiko and Hina took to her enthusiasm very well, but Noriko stayed pretty quiet. She wasn't shy because when it suited her she spoke up to voice her opinion or fact just fine.

Kagome made a mental note that the most powerful lady in the room was probably an introvert. It was too bad that type of terminology hadn't really been brought here yet; it would have been an interesting thing to see the fox get worked up on such a topic. As it was, Oceana looked tired, Kagome was tired, and Sesshomaru was Sesshomaru. He was the epitome of statuesque.

"Oceana" Kagome quietly called out, not disrupting the theatrical tale of the other women. "Would you like me to walk you back to your room?" Green eyes sparkled for a moment before she nodded in agreement. The light chimes of her gold jewelry tapping against each other reached human ears.

"This Sesshomaru must also retire." Now this did cause some coos of remorse. "Are you sure you need to go now?" "Won't you join us for a little while longer, my lord?" "You'll dream of me, right my lord?"

Kagome cleared her throat and leveled them with quite the glare. "Good night, ladies." She said in subtle warning. "Good night, Lord Sesshomaru and Miko- Matchmaker- Kagome." Noriko sighed as the happy three realized the flaw in their chorus. How silly was it that they all have a different title for her? Titles mean a great deal to demons after all. Lord, miko and dragoness slipped out with them giggling at Kagome's abundance of titles. The poor Daiyoukai would surely not be far behind.

Once Sesshomaru split off, Oceana paused outside her door. "Pyro found Asase Yaa and asked about your blessing." It was so sudden an announcement that the girl almost missed it.

"W-what?" Kagome stuttered, "Pyro found her? What did she say?" Her pale human arms unconsciously wrapped around the 'blessed' lower abdomen. A week had passed since she saw the youngest dragon sister, and to hear that she had gone to find Asase Yaa seemed unbelievable.

"She, Pyro I mean, felt a trip to find the goddess would be easier for her than to visit the Land of Odin right away." The dragoness paused and looked away, "She said that the blessing 'took the human out'."

"Who took the human out?" Inuyasha hopped down between them, probably tired of lounging along the roofs. Kagome paled in terror at his presence but said nothing.

"Lady Kagome's blessing. The goddess Asase Yaa said she took the human out, but even I am not exactly sure as to what that means." Oceana carelessly replied while the miko carefully studied the hanyou's reactions. Her small hands clenched in worry.

"If you took the human outta me then I'd be just demon, ya know? But, Kagome 'is' human." The hanyou actually tried to help when, "I'll just ask the bastard if he knows how to take the human out of a human."

"No!" She cried. Surprised, they turned to the nearly weeping girl. "I don't want to bother him with this. I'm fine, so, just, not yet. Ok? Just not yet." Kagome had no intention of him finding out and really planned on minimal interaction after this. He would be married with a kid on the way. She wouldn't drag him into her life and problems.

Golden eyes stared into her watery blue ones and with a sigh, Inuyasha agreed. "Fine. I can wait a day or two." The miko knew that the victor would be announced by then and nodded.

And with that, Inuyasha joined in the secret of Kagome's mysterious blessing.


	14. A Job Done Well

Sorry about the long wait! Sometimes you just lose steam on big projects, but hurricane Matthew sure made me miss this story. Thankfully the storm didn't destroy anything of mine even while living on Florida's coast, so life went right back to normal. This chapter has much more about Kagome finishing up her reports on the finalists than her and Sesshomaru. Its a bummer and why it was so hard to get through. Excuses, excuses. I'm already working on the next chapter, some fanart, and an epilogue via Sesshomaru so don't think I'm giving up just yet. Please be patient with me and enjoy. Thank you for reading! ~catclass

Chapter 14

A new dawn starts a new day and Kagome would have it never come. Servants left a tray of food for breakfast, but she hardly touched it. She dutifully tucked her white kimono into the red hakama of a shrine maiden. Brushing out her black hair, the miko paused. Had it grown again? It may have been her imagination but surely it wasn't so far down her thighs a couple days ago.

With a deep sigh, she started gathering it up to be bound by her elastic band. This one happened to be lime green, since Sesshomaru stole her red one. Another sigh escaped her in an over dramatic manner. It was just her luck that she'd be in love with another unavailable guy.

Splashing morning cold water on her face, Kagome used the pain and shock to recharge. Renewed vigor rushed through her as she burst from her room and out upon the palace. With her pride in one hand and the surveys in the other, she hunted down each contestant. She would do this right.

"This is the survey I mentioned last night." The miko painstaking explained to each of the five women, individually. "You are to read the questions and write your answer to the best of your ability. Do not leave any blank and do not talk with the other contestants about your answers until you have yours in my hands. Questions?" There never were questions, but she found it didn't hurt to ask.

Delivering the assignment to the last woman, Kagome made her way to the garden. The girls hadn't yet infected this place with their perfumes and noise. It was still perfect for meditation and she could use some inner peace while she waited.

Sitting cross legged on the bare grass before a gentle koi pond Kagome released a veil of energy around herself. The slow ripples of her visible purple and pink aura pulsated across the top of the water's surface. Focusing, a pink bubble formed before beginning to lift and reveal the half under the water. It poured out and back into the pond.

"Again." She demanded herself. And again she created that barrier but again, the nonliving, non-evil water slipped right out. The pulses came more rapidly and more uneven in her frustration.

"Again." She told herself. The bubble formed and rose. Blue eyes peaked open when no sound of water reached her ears. Kagome did it. Floating in her pink barrier was pond water. Slowly lowering it back into the pond, the miko released her work to try again.

After an hour of repetitive practices, the holy priestess sat peacefully at the edge of the pond with her fingers dipped below the surface. As the large white koi languidly swam over to investigate, she carefully lifted him. Above the pond's surface she followed the fish's movements to give the illusion that he was simply swimming around of his own accord and not trapped within her pink bubble. His big eyes would turn one way then she would move him that way. When his fanned gossamer tail flickered more then he looked to be speeding by.

It was upon her second fish that Oceana came across the scene. Two luxurious koi magically swimming about a gentle maiden, few ever witnessed these things in person. Regardless, the intellectual goddess had finished her scroll and came here to return it.

The fish were carefully returned to their home and the colorful glowing faded. "Finished?" The miko asked passively. The dragoness nodded and handed it to her. When Kagome went to grab the paper Oceana's second right hand lightly grabbed at her shoulder. Green eyes stared at her in all seriousness. "Have you thought about the blessing?"

Paled, pink lips drew into a thin line, "I have." Kagome turned into the breeze to feel it caress her cheeks. "Do I still smell human?" She softly asked; her blue eyes drifting to their surroundings with serene thoughts.

It was awkward, but the Hindu goddess leaned forward to sniff the woman before her. "You do, but…" She paused and her gold jewelry tingled with a soft head tilt. Kagome didn't need to look at her; sapphire eyes slid shut.

"But…" The miko echoed and sighed.

Red fabric rustled as she stood; time itself seemed slow. In a subdued confidence, Kagome breathed, "But some things are not the same anymore. It reminds me of how it felt to get my miko powers for the first time; it's not scary anymore, just different than my previous self."

Both pairs of eyes shifted to the two women loudly entering the garden. Haruka and Hina swept across the stone paths with flowing kimono of green and orange. Oceana bowed and started to leave down the other path. She barely heard Kagome humorlessly joke, "Am I a butterfly yet?"

"Hi! Are you done with the survey?" With a genuine smile and bright voice the miko walked over to them. There was no point in bothering them with her melancholy mood. They didn't even bother to glance about to the pound or greenery; their focus fell solely on the matchmaker. Kagome vaguely felt disappointed that they could walk past such beauty.

"I thought to find you praying or cleaning, priestess." Haruka teased, "Take this from me before I rewrite it for the hundredth time!" The blonde fox plopped the scroll into small, calloused hands, while Hina gently placed hers. Rubies sparkled amongst orange locks as the fire bird warmly smiled, "Your smile puts my worries at ease, Miko Kagome. I know that the bride chosen will indeed be the best for Lord Sesshomaru."

"Thank you." She replied, "Please change or prepare for this afternoon's sparing. I shall collect you all again after lunch." The fox giggled and made another teasing comment about which attendee she could take down, but their silly topic shifted to attractive soldiers by the change from stone path to wooden walkway.

Lunch sounded really good to the miko, so she sent a servant to bring some food to her room. Well into her world history readings, a knock came from the light screen door. "Come in!" She called. It was the female servant that told Inuyasha to stay.

"Ah, you!" Kagome sat up, scaring the girl.

"Is there something wrong, my lady?" The servant asked as she quickly kneeled just beyond the tray.

"No! Nothing's wrong." Kagome clumsily started, "I'm Kagome, friends with Inuyasha. I saw you too talk before. Are you close?" Dark brown eyes met her in surprise. Though there were no outward features showing her species, the miko just knew that this was a boar demon in front of her.

Blonde hair that could be described as light tan gathered into a bun at the back of her human shaped head. Pointed ears framed a round, caramel face with naturally darkened lips and upturned nose. She looked to be sturdy in build but definitely shorter than Kagome. Dark brown markings helped contour her cheeks and show her full blooded heritage. Finally, with those big almost black eyes, she just felt like a fluffy, baby boar.

"I am Umi." The servant admitted, "Lord Inuyasha has been kind to me." Kagome's smile blossomed with excitement.

"So do you like him?"

"It's not my place to say as a servant, my lady."

"I heard you tell him to stay. That wasn't your 'place' either, so how'd you two meet?"

"I served him, my lady." Even though Umi started getting defensive about the questions, Kagome giggled as if her guest were just shy.

"Duh, of course you did!" It was when the miko laughed at her silly question that the boar seemed to relax. "Are you the one who got him to wear that armor?"

A soft blush formed over dark cheeks as matching hands fiddled with a brown hem. "It helped to wear his father's old armor. He felt like he belonged here with it on." Raven hair swung to and fro as Kagome nodded her head and hummed in agreement.

Another knock had Umi on her feet to slide open the door and slip out. She mumbled a quick, "Please excuse me" as she escaped. Noriko watched the small girl skitter off before returning to greet the priestess. "Miko, I have the scroll for you."

"Wait!" Keiko shouted as she glided over the wooden panels. "I, too, am ready with her scroll, matchmaker." Kagome nodded as the two demoness entered to place their papers on her desk.

"Alright, I'll come get you in a few minutes for sparing. Please be ready." The miko responded as the women turned to hustle out. She wouldn't look at their answers just yet; it would blind her with too many thoughts.

Minutes passed as Kagome retied her hair and setup a scroll for easy note taking on each demoness. It was time; she pepped herself back up. The women awaited her outside the doors to their rooms lining down both sides of the hall way. Haruka wore armor that reminded her of Sango's, though it came with a fox mask and the freedom of her four golden tails. Hina and Oceana had not changed, though they held a fan and small swords respectively. Keiko and Noriko had shed their bold outer layers to show traditional, high-waist hakama. Both held swords of similar size to Tokijin. They followed behind her to the training grounds where the soldiers stood waiting.

Five soldiers perked up at the sight of the battle ready women, while other men hid behind walls to watch. Even their commander, the bird demon from before came to oversee his men. Kagome loudly started, "This is not a battle to the death!" Her blue eyes roamed seriously to all ten people. "You are to make your opponent submit and surrender and that is all. Am I clear?"

They didn't respond. Military movies flashed in her memory as Kagome yelled louder, "Am I clear?"

"Yes, my lady!" A chorus rung out in response. She smiled while holding in a giggle at the small victory.

"Now, we shall go in alphabetical order. Haruka! You are first; choose your opponent and enter the sparring area." As told, the fox took her time deciding on a soldier before they both entered the clearing. Kagome took her seat in the grass and began writing notes.

The demon Haruka chose had a brown horse head, black, light armor, and a short katana. She looked much more vibrant than him amongst the simple back drop. "Begin!" Kagome shouted and they were off.

The quick soldier sprinted towards his opponent with his katana ready in hand and landed a blow. The image of Haruka popped and in its place was a log. She reappeared in wisps of blue fox fire where he had once stood. The fox wore her mask, but her posture told of the playful expressions hidden beneath.

He stomped in embarrassment before inhaling a mighty breath. Suddenly, the soldier shot molten meteors of red and yellow from his long snout. Her image flickered as she shot towards him, but another her came up from the ground beneath him. Haruka dragged the poor warrior into the dirt as her shadow clone cartwheeled over him in distraction. Only his head stayed visible as he desperately started shooting molten balls at the multiplying forms flipping about. The others had to step out of the way of his attacks, while Kagome focused on writing her notes. The flaming meteors bounced off her barrier leaving pink ripples to fade over the transparent surface.

Soon, the horse demon gasped for air and eventually became too tired to continue. Not only had she dragged him underground but she had used a talisman to seal him there much like Shippo had used in the past to stick Inuyasha to boulders and statues.

"Next is Hina." Kagome ordered.

The fire bird stepped forward with a golden fan to match her folded wings. Hina's luxurious kimono dragged across the dirty sparring field. Her wings seemed to be perpetually glowing as if to melt off any dirt that would dare to sully their majesty. This demoness chose a large bull demon who wore little armor to cover his minotaur physique. His weapon of choice seemed to be his reinforced horns and fists.

"Begin!" This time Kagome watched as neither party moved. Both bull and lady stood their ground. The soldier beat his hooved feet into the earth before moving to punch his opponent. They did not move as fast as the last pair so Kagome easily saw the yellow light grow from his clenched fist. He withdrew his sizzling punch seconds from her face before immediately trying a second. This attack, though also cut short, allowed him to be close enough to slice one of her kimono layers open with his horn.

Hina stepped backwards and her previous bored expression twisted to anger. The fan flicked and the bull slid back to his starting position as he fought against heated gusts. The lady glared down on him as she softly flicked her wrists causing searing winds to push him further into the ground and away. The large demon dug his hooves into the grass behind him and held onto the earth with a stubborn grunt.

In a blink, the demon rolled to the side, escaped the wind, and pounced at the overdressed woman. He almost got her, but she took to the skies with wings spread wide. That didn't stop his attack though. The bull slammed his fist into the ground and sent shards of rock at the demoness instead. A graceful spin and those lovely wings rained terror down on the poor soldier. Those shards burned bright and were sent right back at him. The soldier fell to one knee as he peered up at her. Blood trickled from several places of impact and his soft cow skin sizzled and smoked.

Hina pointed the fan in his direction once more and a circle of heat turned the dirt beneath him red. Human eyes could not see the waves of heat she sent at him, crushing his will to fight. He couldn't breathe anymore and his eyes rolled back in his head. The bull demon crumbled in unconsciousness and Hina became victorious.

Kagome allowed for the medical aid to collect the fallen soldier, before calling out, "Keiko!" The dog demon doppelganger chose a wolf demon that had two toned grey hair much like Ginta. His armor matched his fellow soldiers in dark colors, but his wolf pelt skirt and tail still defined his heritage.

"Begin!" The miko tried to not taint her opinion of the demoness simply because she was creeped out by the shared appearance. Instead, she focused on the speed of both fighters. Blue eyes darted back and forth as the two bounced around the area in battle. The wolf used two scythes and armored kicks to dance about Keiko's claws and sword.

Their weapons and attacks sung as metal slid against metal and claws blocked claws. The demoness's black braid floated around them as they fought. As quickly as it began, the wolf's blades were sent flying and her sword rested below his chin. Both fighters panted as he surrendered.

"Noriko!" The miko called next. The bear Daiyoukai stepped forth and picked another bear as her opponent. Perhaps, it was to show the power difference between her and her fellow species. As Kagome cued the start of their fight, the two bowed to each other in respect. The demoness let him attack her as savagely as he could. She merely dodged and defended as he yelled out fierce blows. His claws and sword twirled and switched as he tried to trick her, but she blocked all the same. To be fair, this soldier had beautiful swordsmanship skills and performed them with perfection. Sadly, she was still far better.

The Daiyoukai merely looked at him and a pulse of demon aura sent him tumbling back. It was obvious that she grew ready to end this fight and that her skills had been well displayed. Before the bear could stand from his kneeled position, she had her sword at his neck. Noriko was victorious to the point that she hadn't even started to sweat. And with that, her battle was over. Several soldiers stared at her awestruck as she passed by.

Kagome clapped as she had for everyone thus far. She was still the supportive and caring miko after all. This time though her clap merged with the sound of several others. Finally, they had reached the last fight.

"Oceana!" She called. The blue skinned dragoness stepped forward to nod to the remaining soldier. He resembled a crane with a tuff of yellow amongst white hair. His sword was thin and long and his armor light. "Begin!"

Gold jingled as a blue leg rose and four arms readied blades and magic. The soldier also drew his leg up before lunging forward in a sweeping attack. Oceana dodged but her counterattack never struck as he blocked her arm from moving further. The graceful bird slipped out of the dangerous situation before she could catch him with her magic. Water floated around her in oblong forms before striking at him. The crane dodged around them with a face of quiet peace.

Decorated arms danced through the air as the dragoness controlled her magic while slicing at stoic demon with both water and blades. The bird seemed so peaceful at first, but after a full minute of dragon fury he cracked and opened his eyes in worry. A swift kick to the unsuspecting soldier had his back hit the ground. This beautiful oddity of a demoness stood over the simple bird demon with her weapons and water ready to strike. Perhaps she got this blood thirst from her mother. With his surrender, peace melted into her features and Oceana folded her arms to bow before leaving the field.

"Thank you for all of your help today!" The miko spoke to the men receiving medical attention before turning to bow their nearby commander. She then turned to the bored and slightly sweaty women before offering, "Would you ladies like to hit the hot springs and bathe before dinner?" Most of them offered some verbal agreement but Oceana and Noriko simply nodded.

The herd of dirty demonesses made their way to the baths as Kagome quickly dropped of her notes before joining them. Admittedly, it struck her as odd to see them in short white bathing kimono. The miko knew she didn't look as different when stripping from her red hakama, but Oceana finally removed all of her ornaments and turquoise sari. Blue eyes stared as she saw four smaller shoulder blades beneath blue skin.

The dragoness wasn't the only ones with hidden surprises though. Haruka was not as thin as she appeared, but it looked much more natural with her breast size. The fox used thin armor as a corset of sorts to help her keep the illusion of a skinny hourglass figure. Hina actually had soft red marking covering half her body from her left foot up to her shoulder. Noriko also had a variety of simple markings, but in contrast to Haruka, the Daiyoukai was pretty flat. Her voluminous hair made her form all the smaller looking without the padding of her kimono. Then, there was Keiko.

Several of the demonesses soaked while quietly watching Kagome enter the spring. Keiko sat on one side, her black hair slipped over her shoulder and into the water as it floated released from its braid. The miko sat on the other as her black hair floated in a similar manner.

"I had not noticed before, but you two sure do look alike." Haruka started.

"I think so too, if you would not find offense, matchmaker." The dog demoness replied, nodding towards her miko counterpart.

"Oh, no. I think it's a little weird. There was once someone else that I resembled. It's been years but I still see a glimpse of her in every reflection and I know my friends see it too." Memories of Inuyasha pausing or staring at her with wide eyes seemed to reflect over the water's surface until it left the image of Kikyo rippling back into the blued eyed Kagome. These were all in her mind's eye, but she saw them clear as day.

"We are almost exactly the same with exception to our ears, claws, and markings." Keiko offered. The roles seemed reversed as the modest demoness smiled in excitement and the bright miko somberly smiled.

"There are also my scars and callouses." The human supplied.

This caught Hina's attention, amongst some others'. "How did you get such a nasty scar on your arm, lady Kagome?" "Yeah, and how do you know Lord Sesshomaru?" "How does a demon lord meet a miko, anyway?" It seemed the ladies had been holding back their questions for quite some time.

Kagome blushed and almost attempted to hide under the water. "Sesshomaru has a brother."

Noriko actually chimed in, "The hanyou, Inuyasha, was it?"

"Yes. I've known him for years and he's like a brother to me. I met Sesshomaru through him several years back and not on good terms."

"You've known Lord Sesshomaru for years?" Haruka almost whined.

"Yes, he is a valued friend." A couple looks showed disbelief. "And, I hurt my arm while we were interviewing a pair of sisters. Their grandmother decided to try and eat me."

A chorus of laughter from fox, bird, and dog surprised the miko, as Keiko spoke up, "The elder's hold such strange traditions like that. Human doesn't even taste that good."

When several others nodded in agreement, Kagome let out an uneasy chuckle. Light pruning of her finger pads told, the miko that it was time to get out and grade those papers. She excused herself and the demonic beauties left her with light partings. "Until morning, miko!" and, "Write good things about me!"

Kagome braided her hair and wrapped it into a bun before getting dressed. She didn't need any droplets smearing the ink. In a moment, she was sitting before her short table with a small mound of scrolls. The miko asked Jakken to bring her some tea and candles as she knew she would be working well into the night. Five scrolls held notes on the sparring and five held the answers to her surveys. It was up to her to provide Sesshomaru with five new scrolls containing a synopsis of both.

With a sigh and a body jiggle, Kagome got herself in gear. First, she moved all of the scrolls to her left and then picked one randomly to start. She would find its pair and then compare them on the emptier table to write her final report. Finally, she would put the new scroll on the table across from her and the old scrolls would end up on the floor to her right. This was her plan.

Noriko happened to be the first.

Noriko, Retired Lady of the North and Bear Daiyoukai. Her hobbies included wood instruments and gardening. She has not had any past relations since her first husband died a couple centuries ago. She believes that those who betray should be punished or killed. If the western lands were attacked, she would raise defense before perfecting an effective offence. Her heir would be raised with humility, but an emphasis on physical training. She was a defensive fighter, but she managed to defeat her enemy by the intensity of her demonic aura alone.

Keiko, Daughter of Western General and Dog Demon. Her hobbies include swordplay and flower arrangement. She did have a youthful romance to a human that ended when her father killed him. She believes that their betrayal would be her fault in not being someone worthy of their loyalty. If the western lands were attacked, she would respond offensively while focusing on protecting the western heir. Her heir would be raised learning war strategies with an emphasis on physical training. She was an offensive fighter, and she managed to defeat her enemy by disarming her opponent with her sword skill.

Oceana, Daughter of Deceased Southern Lord, Niece to Southern Lady and Water Dragon. Her hobbies include reading and organizing. She has never had a previous romance. She believes that betrayal is statistically unavoidable so one should always have a secondary plan to counteract it. If the western lands were attacked, she would respond defensively while focusing on protecting the western heir. Her heir would be raised learning everything with an emphasis on perfecting technique and skill. She was an offensive fighter, and she managed to defeat her enemy by swords and water magic.

Hina, Daughter of Southern General and Fire Bird Demon. Her hobbies include singing and blacksmithing. She has had a couple short relationships, but nothing in the past century. She believes that betrayal deserves death. If the western lands were attacked, she would respond defensively while planning offense. Her heir would be raised learning war strategies with an emphasis on stamina training. She was balance between defense and offense, and she managed to defeat her enemy by breaking his will with the heat of her fire.

Haruka, Daughter of Northern General and Fox Demon. Her hobbies include fashion and market. She has had a couple short and long relationships. Her last one ended about fifty years ago. She believes that betrayal deserves punishment. If the western lands were attacked, she would respond offensively. Her heir would be raised learning fighting strategies with an emphasis on magic training. She was offensive, and she managed to defeat her enemy by wearing him out with her stamina.

Done.

She hurried the pages to Sesshomaru's office and knocked on the door. His quiet hum of approval granted her access and she quickly found her place sitting before his table. Kagome stumbled a bit with her words, "I've them complete." She paused to try again, "The reports are ready for you to make the final decision. You are going to announce it in the morning, aren't you?"

Gold eyes studied her for a moment, before the smallest of sighs. He glance somewhere else in casual thought before asking, "Have you eaten dinner?"


	15. Choose Carefully My Lord

I was so close to the end that I decided to pull an all nighter and finish. Thank you all for your time and reviews. There will be another story, Sesshomaru's side which will include the epilogue. Of course, being from the lord. it is a good bit shorter than this. You guys, I'm just so excited that I finished this 121 paged story! XD Cheers! Everybody celebrate! Thank you again for all of your support. Please enjoy this last chapter of Matchmaker Miko. ~Catclass

Chapter 15

The human miko sat across from the perfectly beautiful demon lord with her messy, damp braided bun and disheveled uniform. The final reports sat innocently in her lap, even though the mere idea of them reminded her of a love that could never be. Kagome, had she not been distracted by the lord's odd question, would have left the palace right then.

"Have you eaten dinner?" He had said so casually that she could not help but pause.

"What?" The miko blinked in confusion, "I guess not." She did not feel hungry, but surely she should be. His softened gaze stayed on her as his head tilted in more secret thoughts.

"Very well, we shall eat. Jakken." The toad ran into the room, pretending as if he weren't just sleeping on the job. "Yes, my lord!"

"Fetch two dinners."

"Right away, my lord!" And out the short servant waddled, leaving them alone. Only the patting of light footsteps told them that he was hurrying down the hallway.

"I guess I'll be leaving after the announcement tomorrow." Kagome fidgeted as she couldn't get herself to willingly hand him the scrolls.

"If you must." It was weird. All of his attention fell on her and for once she wasn't sure if she should have it. He sat there looking at her without a scroll to read or a brush to write with.

"I guess I should give you these." She hesitantly placed the five scrolls on the table before him. His only response fell to the usual "hn", as gold eyes flickered from them back to her.

"That's it." Kagome snapped in her usual way. "Sesshomaru, why do you want to have dinner with me when I've pretty much just finished my job for you?" He smirked.

This pissed her off more until it grew a little downcast. "Think of this as a thank you, Kagome." It was his voice but she could hardly believe he said it. Sesshomaru thank her? That's not right. Still she swallowed her emotions and cheerfully replied, "Then let's celebrate our victorious journey together!" She would be strong.

Jakken came back followed by two taller and capable servants holding trays of food. One of the ladies stayed behind just long enough to pour the sake that was not just sake for her lord and non-golden, non-glowing, regular sake for her. Kagome vaguely thought on whether she should drink knowing she was a light weight.

"Cheers!" She offered her dish in a toast and he responded.

The meal went peacefully while the girl decided to prattle on about her day while the stoic lord remained silent. The sips of sake sure helped her express a few more embarrassing occasions like almost dropping his prized koi. Sesshomaru seemed at peace, so she continued on until their plates were empty.

It was almost dawn when the miko decided to stand. "I should go wash up for my trip back today." Blue eyes, which were once glistening in tipsy joy, stared seriously at the pile of scrolls. "Make sure you choose carefully, my lord."

The tall Daiyoukai with long silver hair stood before formally bowing, Kagome gasped. "This Sesshomaru shall see you tomorrow, but this is our end. Fair travels, Miko Kagome." Pink lips trembled in her speechlessness.

"Fair well, Lord Sesshomaru." The priestess bowed and silently prayed for his happiness. "Good night and good bye."

She stepped out into the hall way and slid close the screen. Kagome had to pause in the sorrow of saying good byes, but gradually made it back to her room to pack. Jakken already stood at her door with tearful eyes that he tried to hind behind his short brown sleeves. "I have your horse groomed and ready to pack whenever you want." He mumbled out. "Yours and Inuyasha's payments are already attached by cart."

Her dark brow furrowed, "I never wanted payment, Jakken." The toad offered her a weird endearing smile and replied, "We would give it to you anyway, my lady. Do you need help loading your things?"

"No thank you, I just have my back pack and my bow and arrows." Big yellow eyes fell to the floor as the green toad nodded.

"Then, I'll be on my way now, my lady. I shall fetch you for the announcement."

"Thank you Jakken." Kagome paused before asking, "Might I have some morning tea sent to my room?"

"Of course!" The servant jumped up, "I shall send for it right away!" Jakken sped off with his little imp feet causing pat-pat-pat noises down the walkways.

It wasn't difficult to pack, considering she pretty much lived out of her yellow back pack. This left her with quite some time in which she thought she'd read, but instead, she spent most of it combing her hair. Thankfully, it hadn't fully dried in that braid or else she would have had some crazy waves to battle with. The black locks were finally presentable in her comfortable ponytail when Jakken came to get her for the last time.

They walked in silence as Kagome dropped off her backpack and weapon at the stables where her horse waited. Jakken didn't seem any happier that she was leaving than she was, and that made the miko smile. Her thoughts of her mom and Shippo blinded her surroundings as they walked on. The image of a teenaged Souta dispersed from her thoughts as the servants opened the door and her eyes met his.

Sesshomaru sat atop his throne, while others sat on cushions below. The same paintings of great dog demons still hung along the walls as a show of the family's proud history. This time the room had people, though Kagome hardly thought of them.

Jakken led her to stand at his lord's side, while Inuyasha stood on Sesshomaru's right. The miko almost giggled as she figured, Sesshomaru didn't want to look at Inuyasha and thus placed him where he'd be hidden by mokomoko. It didn't help that the white pelt sure looked extra fluffy today.

"It seems we have a guest." Sesshomaru softly spoke, before glancing over to Kagome. He knew them, but she didn't have the time to investigate his/her aura before the screen door violently slid open.

"Gorai?" She asked.

The Northern Lord barged through some of the guards and soldiers that tried desperately to stop him. A few were already apologizing to their lord for letting this wolf enter such a private meeting. However, Sesshomaru hardly seemed bothered, "Enough." The guards released the large, wolf demon. "What brings you to my lands?" He asked.

"I had heard that Noriko would be here and I couldn't let it be. I mean no disrespect, Lord Sesshomaru, but this wolf has loved her for many a century now. Would you allow me to ask for her hand and if she says yes, keep it?"

A silver brow rose at this before the stoic lord turned to the blushing, flabbergasted Daiyoukai. "This Sesshomaru allows it." Even from her angle, Kagome could see the spark of entertainment behind his eyes, though his face remained bored.

"Noriko." The wolf quickly walked to the sitting lady in browns and yellows. He fell to his knees and held her hands between them, "Noriko, I have had several wives and children until now. I will always love them, but you have been my light, my air, my everything since before I stood beside your throne. We aren't silly adolescents anymore. Will you have me and become Lady of the North once again?"

Brown eyes stared as unbound joy overwhelmed the quiet woman. "Yes." She whispered. "Yes, I would be yours, you silly man." Gorai took that as his cue to left her up and carry her out. Servants scurried about to make sure they collected her belongings in a timely manner and sent them north bound.

With the room, once falling into order and silence, Kagome stepped forward and began to speak, "Those who do not get picked will be shown back to their rooms and expected to leave by midday. The chosen lady shall be shown to her room where she is to stay until the other guests are gone. A servant will come get you when it is time to meet with Lord Sesshomaru to discuss business details." She suddenly worried that they might not actually discuss business. The miko bowed to the seated demon before finishing, "Your choice, my lord?"

"This Sesshomaru has chosen Keiko of the West." Kagome couldn't move. The room suddenly filled with noise and movement that she couldn't quite see. The other women were congratulating Keiko and then leaving, but it seemed almost too much to watch.

A strong hand grabbed hers and pulled her out of the room. She could breathe and think again, but she almost refused to do either. Inuyasha had pulled her out. Kagome stayed quiet as she climbed into the driver's seat of the cart and watched the hanyou got a surprise kiss good bye from Umi. The servant waved them off, but only Inuyasha responded with a small wave back.

It was like this the whole trip back to the village. The half demon stayed wary of her and knew something was going to trigger either a very angry display or a sad one. He only knew that he couldn't handle either. They travelled upon the dirt paths until their destination came into view. Shippo and Rin jumped and waved.

The two growing children met them a ways outside and rode the cart in while sitting with Kagome. She smiled and hugged them, but they knew something was up. At least, Shippo acted extra considerate towards her for the moment.

Then, Sango came out of her hut and their eyes met. The miko pulled the horse to a stop, made sure the kids started unpacking for her, and then slowly drifted into the demon hunter's hut. Big, blue, watery eyes hit the mother full force and she instantly pushed Miroku outside.

"No one comes in until I say." Sango ordered; the monk smiled.

Inside the hut Kagome dissolved into a mess. Tears streamed her face as she sobbed into Sango's lap. After an hour of crying, the miko sat up and explained, "Sango, I'm such an idiot. Even though I was with him to help find a wife, I still… I fell in love!" Her face returned to the comfortable lap as if to hide the rest, "She looks just like me but as a full demon. It's just like Kikyo!"

After another few minutes of Sango's pets and coos, Kagome lifted her head again. "I might not be human anymore either."

"What?" The comforting voice turned serious as she grabbed the miko's chin.

"Asase Yaa, blessed me because I freed a bunch of goddesses and stuff. She told Pyro that she took the human out of me, so what's even left?"

"If I may, Lady Kagome?" Myouga jumped up onto Sango's shoulder. It was much harder to receive her furious glare while this close. "You said she took the human out of you, but could you have meant mortality? Have you noticed a lack in sleep or appetite? If you have then that is more than likely the case. Immortals don't need to do such things as often."

"What?" Kagome stuttered, "That can't be. I'm just Kagome Higurashi. I'm not immortal! I'm just Kagome!"

The flea flinched at the agonizing gaze focused on him, "Well, you said you loved Lord Sesshomaru, right? An immortal's body is too holy to mix with demon seed more than it has to, but it still nurtures life causing the child to be born full blooded instead of purified."

Sango held on to Kagome's shoulders as the miko started to sway uneasily. "My child would come out a full demon and I helped him pick someone else." Reality finally caught up with her and Kagome collapsed.

That night, she awoke in her own hut with Inuyasha, Shippo, and Miroku sitting around her fire pit. They were all quiet as if they knew.

"Inuyasha, I'm going to go home for a couple days. I need to talk to my mom." Little canine ears twitched as they both stood up.

"I'm going to walk you to the well." It wasn't angry, just a little gruff.

"Fine."

When they were along the path between the rice patties, Inuyasha asked, "So you love Sesshomaru?" Kagome flinched but hummed a simple agreement. "And you are now able to have full demon kids because you are immortal? Because that lady blessed you?" Again she hummed in agreement.

"Keh! You should find someone better than that cold, heartless prick." The angry pup huffed, but it did get Kagome to look at him.

"He spoke in first person." She softly countered.

"What?" Inuyasha wouldn't know what first person was. She angrily wondered if he could even read, before instantly feeling bad for thinking such things.

"He dropped 'this Sesshomaru' and called me Kagome." She only paused a moment to let him know this before continuing up the hill that hid the magic well. The miko threw her bag over the ledge before offering a quick parting to her friend. "See you in a couple days Inuyasha."

Magic flowed around her as she jumped through time and placed her softly in a dimly lit well house. She had to climb out of the well, but the sound of rain hissed over the roof and onto the stone yard just outside. It made her dreary day all the more dramatic when she entered the house soaking.

Ms. Higurashi rushed to her daughter's aid with towels and hugs. After a warm, modern bath, the two females sat at the dining room table with mugs of hot cocoa. Souta was spending the night with some friends, and grandpa had already gone to sleep. Slowly, Kagome began to explain her story, while her mom quietly listened.

"Why not ask him to marry you?" Her mother offered while holding her daughter's hand.

"It's too late." The miko hopelessly sighed.

"It's never too late, because now you have all the time in the world." Ms. Higurashi gave her a reassuring smile, and Kagome cherished it deeply. "I love you mom." This was exactly what she needed. With a strong hug good night, the young woman wondered up to her room to sleep. Immortal or not, this day had been exhausting.

They decided that night not to tell grandpa or Souta of her immortality, so when morning came the old man could only gripe about needing her help around the shrine more often. Ms. Higurashi dropped a plate when she found out about Kagome's "wicked new scar" from Souta and not her own daughter. She fretted and worried but knew it was already done and over with.

Kagome spent the next couple days actually doing shrine maiden duties like cleaning the shrine. Grandpa was still trying to sell knock off Shikon Jewels while she swept the dirt and leaves from the courtyard. All seemed peaceful when Inuyasha's voice rang out from the well house. "Ok! We're through! Now get off me, you prick!"

The miko and old man stared warily at the small building, while wondering who the hanyou could possibly be talking to. When the doors opened to white hakama, spiked armor, and a fluffy mokomoko, Kagome almost bolted. In fact, she did.

The girl burst through her bedroom door and quickly locked it behind her. Black hair bunched up as she slid her back down the wood until she sat on the floor. "No, no, no, no" became her whispered mantra.

"Kagome!" Ms. Higurashi called out, "Kagome, you have a visitor. I'm sending him up."

Her round face hid in her knees as his voice spoke through the door, "Miko, open this door."

"Go away. I can't see you right now. It still hurts, Sesshomaru." The tears began again as her wounded heart ripped back open. "You shouldn't be here in this time."

"You lied." His warm voice still drew her attention no matter how softly spoken.

"What? How? I did not!" Kagome's head fell back to rest against the door as she glared at the door handle for his substitute.

"You said there were five finalists, and yet Jakken brought this Sesshomaru a sixth scroll. The soldiers talk of six battles, not five. Did you mean to lie to this Sesshomaru?" Blue eyes widened in realization. She had filled out a survey for herself when she had spare time, but misplaced it. As for the battle, he must have been talking about the bird demon.

Black lashes fluttered against blushing cheeks, "Sesshomaru, you can't choose me if you want a full blooded heir."

"You have to try harder to fool a dog demon."

"You know, don't you?" Kagome gasped before turning to face the door. "You wouldn't choose me if I couldn't provide an heir, would you? You wouldn't be here!" Bam! Her fist hit the door in anger; she knew his answer.

"Correct. Half demons do not have the life expectancy or power of a full demon. This Sesshomaru would surrender anything to protect the west." He paused, "For these past years, this lord chose to renounce affections for you; however, this 'blessing' allows for us."

The miko clumsily stood and unlocked the door. Her puffy eyes glared into his honey irises. "What do you mean 'past years'?"

"Why didn't you tell this Sesshomaru about your blessing?" He countered instead.

She gawked, "I asked first. Besides, I didn't want to bother you with something that didn't seem so big." His own eyes glared back at her as the lord's temper grew.

"This Sesshomaru has known of these interests for years. It was for the best to find a mate before you." His tone was low and curt, driving Kagome to step closer and poke his chest.

"Before me? Are you saying you planned this whole journey out just to get a mate before I got married? You, jerk! You brought me along to pick my own replacement!" The miko swung but he quickly stepped to the side. Another punch and he dodged, but the wall now had a nice new hole.

"It was not planned to have you join." He gracefully jumped down the stairs as she chased after.

"You had better not just used it as an excuse to peep on me while I bathed, you pervert!" Kagome actually threw cushions at him, which he allowed to hit.

"You insult, miko." The lord's low voice slightly growled as he backed into the kitchen. "How is it, it took searching for your replacement before you even thought of loving this Sesshomaru?" Now, his volume rose to match hers.

"You always acted so cold to me in the village, but now that I'm not going to taint your precious blood I'm worth looking at?" They were both shouting as Kagome continued to throw things at the graceful demon.

Sesshomaru roared in anger, "Foolish woman, you've been worth looking at from the start. Now that you can't taint demon blood, I can love you and fulfill my duty as Lord of the West!" Kagome froze; a pair of scissors fell from her hands to the floor. Yes, it was scary to have a level headed, stoic demon lord snap and yell at you, but the miko simply couldn't get past what he said.

Red, her cheeks and ears became horribly red from blushing. Tears started to roll down her cheeks again but Kagome knew it was for a good reason. This sudden change in mood caught even the demon lord off guard, which allowed her enough time to walk up to him again. She looked at him before asking, "Why are you here, Sesshomaru?"

His hair created a silver curtain as he leaned over her, "To choose my wife." Kagome softly smiled and leaned up to meet his lips, but the door burst open to show the four missing persons. Inuyasha had been the one to panic and open the door, the rest just failed at stopping him in time.

The two pulled away from each other, as Ms. Higurashi rushed in first. "Well, Kagome, are you going to introduce us?" Her cheery demeanor glowed more radiantly than usual. The miko suspected her mother was thinking of grandkids again, the silver haired kind.

"This is my family: mom, Souta, gramps and Buyo is the cat over there." The embarrassed girl pointed to each respectively before turning to showcase him. "This is Sesshomaru. He is lord over the western part of Japan in his time and he's Inuyasha's older brother."

"Oh my!" Her mother cooed, "I do see quite the family resemblance."

"He don't look like me!"

"Inuyasha, who're you kidding?" Souta laughed, "He's like you, but prettier. Heck, he's prettier than Kagome." She heard him and blue eyes locked on like a hawk.

"What was that, you twerp?" The miko laughed as she joyfully tortured her brother in a chokehold.

"Mercy! Mercy!" He squeaked.

Kagome glanced over at the lord as he approached her grandpa and mother. She wanted to listen to her brother's cries for help, but something was just weird about him talking to them. Gramps didn't seem too happy but her mom was ecstatic. Brother and sister shared a suspicious look before watching the tall demon move to stand before her.

"Say, Sesshomaru? What happened to Keiko?" Kagome lightly asked. Her eyes drifted down to Tokijin, when something there caught her eye. It was her red hair band tied around the sword's hilt. You wouldn't have guessed what it was unless you saw that iconic strip of metal catching the light.

"She decided to leave after Inuyasha relayed important information about us." He gave no hint as to whether that went well or poorly. Kagome didn't know whether to thank Inuyasha just yet or be angry at him for endangering her family. With a quick glance to the bantering between the hanyou and gramps, she decided she would thank him. He was family after all.

"What were you talking with them about?" Her gaze still drifted across the room, but Kagome figured the great demon lord knew she was still talking to him. Souta had long escaped and now rummaged through the fridge with Buyo at his feet.

"This Sesshomaru assumed you desire support and acceptance from your family to become my wife." The miko sighed at the thought of simply having to get used to his third person. A smirk appeared as devious thoughts sprinkled her imagination.

"Did they give it?" She asked, still slightly distracted by the ruckus about them. It didn't help when he responded with his usual, "hm."

This time Kagome made sure to face him, her mother's words giving her confidence, "Hey Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?" He answered. His stoic face turned to her and she saw nothing but warmth in those honey eyes. And though his was much smaller, they shared a smile.

"Will you marry me?"

The End.


End file.
